Unlovable
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: 'Sofia has always been such a lonely child.' These were the words her mother used to describe Sofia to the man who would become her stepfather. When Sofia moves into the palace, she believes her days of loneliness are over, but it doesn't take long for her to realize that nothing much has changed besides the scenery. Or has it? Darkish.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Just another gem that I dug up from my pre-hiatus phone archives. Enjoy.

It's another manga inspired story, though I'm reluctant to say which manga because frankly I'm embarrassed to admit I read it, and especially that I enjoyed it.

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'Sofia has always been such a lonely child'

That was something she overheard her mother say on that fateful day when they first went to the palace to fit the King for his slippers. It pained her to hear the words spoken aloud, no matter how true they may be. The only surviving child of a single mother, Sofia often was left to tend to herself while Miranda worked hard to put food on the table and pay rent for their one bedroom home. Sometimes, this even included being left behind for days at a time, despite her young age, while her mother made longer distance trips. She knew that it was all for her sake, so she never bothered to complain, and just became very good at taking care of herself.

She wholeheartedly believed that becoming a princess, gaining a dad and two new siblings, living in a palace full of people, these things would signal the end of that solitary lifestyle. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It started that first night, at dinner, when she mistakenly called her mother's new husband 'dad', only to be reprimanded and told that she must refer to him as 'Your Highness'. Next came the incident at school when her step-siblings conspired to make her the laughingstock of their class.

Fed up, she hurried toward the palace, still wet and freezing from her incident with the enchanted swing set. She was just approaching the doors when she spotted him, the Royal Sorcerer she'd met briefly the day before. He was hiding behind a pillar, cigarette in hand. Amber and James seemed oblivious to both of them as they passed, entering the palace and leaving Sofia and this man to stare at each other in awkward silence. The Sorcerer held a finger to his lips and Sofia nodded that she understood before hurrying inside.

She searched the palace but could find no sign of her mother or the King. What she did find was an elderly Steward, the same one who had rushed her off to dinner the night before, who informed her that everyone was 'otherwise engaged' and she should find some way to entertain herself until dinner. She stood in the corridor, watching him rush off to somewhere else in the palace and wondering what she was meant to do with herself in this strange new place, when something bumped her hard from behind, knocking her down onto the rug.

"You again?" A deep, angry voice demanded. Sofia didn't want to look up, didn't want anyone to see the tears welling up or her flaming red cheeks, so she stayed there, sprawled out on the floor. "Haven't I told you to pay attention?" An undignified sniffle escaped, and from the corner of her blurred vision, she could see black trousers kneel down beside her, then his face came into view as he cocked his head to check on her.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She chanted, clenching her eyes shut and praying that he wouldn't yell at her the way the Steward had for delaying dinner, or the fairies had for dripping water through the school halls. "I won't do it again, so ple-" Fingers just barely brushed her curls from her eyes before jerking away.

"Hey, you're not hurt. Stand up." His words were simple, but there was a hint of gentleness to his tone, so finally Sofia gathered the courage to peek up at the man. He certainly didn't look like he was angry with her, but for some reason the way he stared at her just unleashed the flood of emotions she'd been holding in ever since she'd moved to the palace. "I'll make you a deal. You stop your blubbering, and I'll let you see a real magician's workshop." He offered, shifting uncomfortably beside her.

"I-Is that really... okay?" She hiccoughed. He rose back to his feet, and Sofia suddenly found herself terrified that he would change his mind and leave her there.

"Course it is. It's my workshop, I can take whomever I'd like in there." He insisted, stretching a gloved hand towards her. "Come on, not even the King himself has seen it." His tone changed again, slightly teasing but in a manner not at all unpleasant. Sofia giggled and placed her hand in his palm, letting him practically pull her upright. He broke the contact the instant she was standing again, and gestured for her to follow him.

Silently they walked until they came to a twisting spiral staircase, which led to a landing with a large wooden door. Here he paused, making a show of retrieving his keys from the hinged toe of an old gargoyle statue.

"This is where the magic happens." He announced, throwing open the door and leading her to the middle of a room filled with overflowing bookshelves and cluttered surfaces. It was dark and messy, but Sofia quickly decided that his tower was the very best part of the entire palace.

A large Raven cried out from the rafters, nearly scaring Sofia into running right back down the stairs, but the Sorcerer instructed her to pay him no mind, chastising the bird for being so loud before properly introducing them to each other. After that, he showed her around, even taking the time to read her a page from a tome on his lectern that caught her keen eye.

"Okay, tour's over. I have lots of work to do, you know." He declared abruptly, herding her towards the door just as Sofia was beginning to feel like she could stay in his little corner of Enchancia forever. "I know how hard it can be adjusting to life in the palace, so if you ever need me, my door is always-" He slammed the door in her face before even finishing the sentence. From inside, Sofia heard a clatter, followed by a stream of profanity.

...

Cedric sat sulking in the spot he'd fallen when his robe caught, stubbornly refusing to open the door and free himself until he was sure the new princess was long gone. With nothing else to do, he finally had time to stop and consider his actions leading up to this point. He wasn't lying when he told the little girl that the king had never been inside his workshop. He was a very private man, and the only time anyone came inside was when Baileywick stuck his nose in to complain about noise.

Why did I even bring her here? Images of their encounter in the hallway flashed through his head, answering his question for him. She looked so very small and lost. She sounded absolutely terrified of him as she sputtered out an apology for the collision that was just as much his fault for being in such a hurry to get back to his little sanctuary that he forgot to watch where he was going. Just then, she reminded him of... It's fine. She's gone now, and everything's back to normal. He reassured himself impatiently.

For the rest of the night, things really did go back to normal, and he was left alone to concentrate on his 'work', which mostly consisted of moping around the tower and trying not to picture the way that little brat had smiled so warmly at him during the tour or wonder why, when she spouted off some sickly sweet nonsense her mother had taught her, he suddenly became desperate to be rid of the girl, practically shoving her out of the workshop.

"It was just annoying, that's all there is to it. Acting irritatingly charming like that. And in the middle of my evil lair, no less." He complained out loud, prompting his familiar to let out a loud caw from somewhere up in the rafters. "Oh, do shut up!" Cedric shouted, trying but failing to zap the bird with his wand. Lousy budgie, what would you even know about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** To clarify a few things about this story, I feel like this note is kind of needed. Because it's a darker version, certain things from the show (like Cedric's "Merlin's mushrooms"), are aged up. In the case of his euphemisms, he just cusses. Where in the beginning show he would call her princess instead of using her name (up until the wand case, I believe), here he's a little ruder. Later, she calls him something else instead of "Ceedric", because even though I love it, it's too cutesy. Just wanted to clear all that up ahead of time, because yes, it does come off as he's a little harsh with her, and really it's written like that intentionally.

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He didn't see her again until the next day, when she passed the spot where he liked to sneak his afternoon smoke. She surprised him by walking right by without so much as a second glance in his direction, but he reminded himself that he preferred as little interaction with others as possible, and being ignored by her suited him just fine. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but catch how slowly she shuffled towards the grand palace doors, shoulders slumped forward and focus pinned on the ground in front of her - very out of character from what Cedric had seen of the girl until now.

When he finished his cigarette, he returned to the tower and sat at his desk, taking a spell book from the top of the stack and flipping to the bookmarked page. It was the time of year where the King would soon be after him to increase the villager's annual yield, and he wanted to find a spell that would perform better than last year's fiasco.

After a few hours, he slammed the book shut with annoyance. It seemed no matter how many times he read and reread the passages, he just couldn't retain any of the information. Something was definitely off with that brat today... His thoughts strayed away from the topic at hand. Pushing back his white bangs in aggravation, he rose from his desk so quickly that he knocked his chair down in the process. A shower, he decided, would help clear his head so he could concentrate on work.

"Sofia, I have a favour to ask of you." The new princess looked up from her homework to show her mother that she was paying proper attention. "I need you to eat in the kitchen tonight."

"Okay." Sofia replied quietly, trying not to let her disappointment show. Why? Why can't I eat with everyone else? But she didn't dare ask aloud, especially not when Miranda was staring at her so sternly.

"We have some important guests coming on short notice, and it would be too much trouble to try to teach you how to behave at dinner before tonight." The queen answered the questions Sofia had been afraid to ask, and Sofia returned to her homework, trying to hold herself together until she was alone. If I complain or cry about it, I'll just be causing more problems for Mom. Without bothering to say anything else, her mother turned and left as quickly as she'd come in.

Cedric dried off and draped the towel across his shoulders, then pulled his trousers on. Since he only planned on returning to his research, he reasoned that he could forgo the tunic for the time being.

As he approached his desk again, his stomach growled loudly, signalling that he'd been so distracted he'd forgotten to eat again. He did some quick mental calculations and realised that the last meal he could remember having was breakfast the day before. Hastily, he threw his robe on and left the tower, promising himself that he would just grab a quick bite from the kitchen and come right back. Everyone else will be gathered in the dining room by now, anyway.

What he was not at all prepared for was the small frame of Sofia, dressed in her bright blue night gown, sitting hunched over the kitchen island and resting her face against the cool marble surface. He debated going back to the workshop for a while and returning to get some food later, after she'd gone to bed, but the soft sounds of crying captured his attention, spurring him to take several steps closer.

"What is it this time?" He demanded, in a tone much harsher than he'd meant it to be. She swivelled her head to face him, red-rimmed eyes blown wide with surprise at the intrusion.

"I-I... Nothing. I'm fine, really." She stammered, avoiding his eyes as she spoke. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed a tear from her flushed cheek. Instead of drawing back from him, she pressed against his palm, and he could feel the heat that was radiating from her even through the fabric of his gloves. It was then that his mind finally started to piece together what had been nagging at him ever since she came home from school. "Oh, that's- onions, I was cutting them, and-"

Uninterested in her lie, Cedric cupped the back of her head and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. The child was burning up. At that time, I didn't think anything of it, but... His thoughts raced. "Yesterday, you went to bed without drying your hair, didn't you?" She nodded against him, letting out a small whimper. She came home soaking wet.

"Wear this." Cedric shrugged his robe off and wrapped it around her, too distracted to worry about the fact that he was drastically under-dressed. I'm such an idiot, dragging her off to the drafty tower like that. Of course she's sick. "It can't be helped, then." He scooped the girl up, slinging her over his shoulder.

"What are you-?" She thrashed and kicked, banging her small fists against his back.

"Stop that! Do you want me to drop you?" With that, she went limp, allowing him to carry her back into the hallway, dinner completely forgotten as he navigated the winding corridors. Are all brats this light? It was just dumb luck that he remembered she'd been given Tilly's room, and how to get there after nearly two decades of not needing to recall the way.

He hesitated briefly before turning the knob, taking her through the antechamber and into the middle of her room, where he deposited her onto the bed, perhaps a little too carelessly. She made a small noise of protest at the impact, but didn't utter any complaints.

"Why?" She squeaked instead, as Cedric drew the coverture up to her chin, then tucked it snugly around her.

"Sick brats ought to stay in bed." He scolded her, effectively preventing any more debate on the matter.

Sofia woke in the middle of the night, alarmed to find herself in an unfamiliar bed. A cool cloth covered her forehead, she was enveloped by the smells of herbs and cigarette smoke, and surrounded in something luxuriously soft and comfortably warm, which she pulled around her to fight the chills running through her body. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, she realised that she was in her new bed, and the lush fabric she was snuggling up with was the Royal Sorcerer's robe. Sighing with contentment, she rolled onto her side, only to discover another surprise.

Cedric was propped against her headboard, his head tilted back against the wall, snoring lightly. She quickly averted her eyes, but curiosity eventually got the best of her so she peeked back up through her lashes. Am I still asleep? She wondered, gingerly reaching out a hand to touch the open palm of his glove, seeking confirmation that he was really there. Without waking, his fingers wrapped around hers, and Sofia's cheeks burned as she studied their clasped hands in fascination. His hand is so much bigger than mine. Cautiously, she stretched her other hand out and touched his upper arm, tracing swirling inky lines that covered muscles she never would have guessed he had. He always looks so thin in his robe. In her imagination he'd resembled the spindly limbed straw dolls her mother used to keep on the high shelf of their old home. He made a small sound in his sleep as her fingers moved. He... laughed? Sucking in a breath, she tried to repeat the motion, but this time his other hand came down, gripping her wrist tightly.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, brat?" Golden eyes burned into her as she fumbled for an explanation that wouldn't come.

"I'm sorry." Was all she finally managed to say, ducking her head to avoid his angry glare.

"I must have fallen asleep." His voice was quieter this time, and he released her wrist, though he didn't seem to notice that his other hand was still holding hers. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." Sofia squeaked. She nodded slightly, still too nervous and embarrassed by her actions to face him. Next to her, Cedric ran a hand through his hair, letting out a large yawn.

"Good. I'm going, now." He pulled himself upright on the mattress, swinging his legs over the side.

"Wait." Sofia tightened her grip on his hand, but he yanked it away. "Y-your... Your robe." She stammered out, eager for an excuse for calling out.

"It's fine. Just return it tomorrow." Cedric climbed out of the bed, but Sofia reached out and took his hand again, stopping him just as he was taking his first steps towards the door.

"Please... don't leave me alone." She whispered. Cedric stared down at her with an unfamiliar expression. That was asking too much. Now he's really going to be angry with me. The silence that came next seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

"Budge up." Sofia scooted over as told, and Cedric reclaimed his spot at the top of the bed. "Just for a minute, though." He warned, but Sofia was too giddy to care.

"I'll stay up until then." She offered happily.

"You'll do no such thing. You need sleep to get better." He admonished her gruffly. "If I think you're keeping yourself up, I'll-" He looked over to see if she was heeding him, only to find the girl fast asleep already.

The next time Sofia awoke, it was morning, and the Sorcerer was nowhere to be found. A knock sounded through the room, and she hurried to answer it.

"Princess Sofia, time to get ready for school." A pretty, young maid greeted her.

"Thank you, Violet, but-" Sofia began to explain, but a deep voice from the hall interrupted her.

"The Princess is sick. I discovered her in the kitchens last night with a high fever and sent her to her room." Sofia opened the door further to see the Sorcerer, dressed in his usual attire, standing behind the maid, a tray of hot soup and tea balanced carefully in his hands. "She shouldn't even be out of bed." He added pointedly, shooting her a stern glare.

"Oh... Alright. I can take that in and make sure she gets some rest." Violet told him, reaching for the tray. Sofia watched quietly, willing him to send the maid away and deliver the tray personally. Instead, he practically shoved it into the woman's hands and wordlessly walked off down the hall without so much as a second glance in their direction.

"I'm not hungry!" Sofia lied, loudly enough to be heard by both of the adults, before shutting the door in the maid's face and stomping back to her bed.

She laid there for an eternity trying to sort through a jumble of feelings, picking away at them in an effort to understand her own actions. The more she reflected on things, though, the more confused she became. All she knew for certain was that she had really, really wanted the Royal Sorcerer to insist on caring for her himself.

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Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter actually starts with the bed scene from Cedric's POV and goes from there. BTW, promise nothing creepy happened while Sofia slept. Cedric just put a cool cloth on her head, sat down 'for a second', and conked out because his sleep schedule sucks. :P


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note** : I thought about skipping this chapter, because it goes back over some events, but I thought that Cedric's POV on those incidents was really interesting, especially his thoughts while he was hesitating before getting back into the bed. Plus we get to see what happened between the bedroom scene and Sofia refusing the soup. Also, I love the scene at the end of this one and couldn't work it in to the last chapter as well as I did here... Anyway, this is more like chapter 2.5, sorry. But, that's also why I only waited a day to publish it, even though I'm gonna start spacing this one out more.

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Something soft tickled Cedric's arm, dragging him half-way out of the best slumber he'd had in a very long time. He was just about to write it off as his imagination and go back to sleep when he felt it again. It feels like... fingertips? Confused, he peeked through his lashes, only to find the newest princess of Enchancia tracing the tattoos on his bare upper arm, staring at him with fascination as she brushed lightly across the flesh. Quickly, he caught her wrist, stopping the child's forays.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, brat?" He demanded, gripping her little arm tightly. She ducked her head, hastily uttering an apology. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that the girl was ill, and didn't seem to handle criticism well even when she wasn't.

"I must have fallen asleep." He mused, letting go of her. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." Sofia squeaked nervously. Cedric feigned a yawn, anxious to return to his tower and leave the recovered child alone.

"Good. I'm going, now." He pulled himself upright on the mattress, swinging his legs over the side.

"Wait." Sofia cried out, squeezing his fingers. How long has she been holding hands with me? Cedric wondered, glancing down at their joined hands with mild alarm. He broke the contact quickly, putting some space between himself and the girl. "Y-your... Your robe." She reminded him, though she made no attempt to unwrap herself.

"It's fine. Just return it tomorrow." Cedric climbed out of the bed, but Sofia reached out and took his hand again, stopping him just as he was taking his first steps towards the door.

"Please... don't leave me alone." She whispered. Cedric stared down at her in astonishment. That's right... she's always alone, isn't she? Someone to care for you when you're sick, isn't that what anyone would hope for? Memories of his own childhood tried to creep to the surface, but Cedric swallowed hard, forcing them back to the hidden recesses of his mind. Finally, he decided that he was not the sort of man that would deny a sick child such a basic comfort, no matter how irritating she might be.

"Budge up." Sofia scooted over as told, and Cedric reclaimed his spot at the top of the bed. "Just for a minute, though." He warned, not wanting the girl to mistake his pity for kindness.

"I'll stay up until then." She offered, smiling brightly at him.

"You'll do no such thing. You need sleep to get better." He admonished her gruffly. "If I think you're keeping yourself up, I'll-" He looked over to see if she was heeding him, only to find the girl fast asleep already. What's with this brat?

Cedric slowly inched his way out of the bed again, careful not to wake Sofia as he moved. He slipped from the room as silently as possible. Stalking through the empty palace corridors, he came to the front entrance and pushed the door wide. The early dawn air was chilly, and he wished he had his robe, but at least the cool breeze brought some relief to his troubled thoughts. Days spent alone in the tower, taking care of myself because there was no one else to rely on. I don't want to remember these things. He told himself, patting his trouser pockets in search of an item that wasn't there.

"Fuck!" He cursed, remembering that he'd left his cigarettes in his robe pocket. With nothing left to do, he went back inside. Having already slept more than he was accustomed to, he wasn't tired anymore, but he was too lost in thought to get any work done, either. He returned to his tower to dress, then paced the floor for a while before deciding to get some breakfast. It's been almost two full days since I've eaten. No wonder I'm so agitated.

Even at this early hour, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity as servants rushed here and there preparing to serve the Royal Family their breakfast. It finally occurred to him, as he watched the omelettes being cooked, that Sofia's dinner had been interrupted, too. She must be starving by now...

"Do you have any chicken soup?" He asked a lanky, frantic looking chef as he was dashing by to grab something from a cupboard. The man paused long enough to shake his head before continuing on his mission. Cedric pushed his way to the food stores and gathered some vegetables, broth, and dry noodles, then rummaged through the fridge for a bit of chicken. Satisfied, he took his bundle back to the workshop. It can't be that difficult to make, right?

About two hours later, and after more trips to the kitchen to restock supplies than he would like to admit, his workshop was littered with pots and cauldrons filled with failed attempts. He was just getting ready to give up on the idea entirely when he tasted his current batch. It's not going to win any awards, but it'll do. He removed the pot from the heat source below before it had a chance to burn again.

Leaving it to cool, he rinsed the spot on his hand where he got scalded on his first attempt, then wrapped a bandage around the injury. Next, he brewed some elderberry tea, since it was supposed to be good for the immune system. Finally finished, he placed everything onto a tray, checking it over with satisfaction. S'right, the sooner the brat gets better, the sooner things can go back to normal around here.

He was just bringing the meal to Sofia when he spotted the maid knocking on her door to collect her for school.

"Thank you, Violet, but-" Sofia began to explain from within the antechamber.

"The Princess is sick. I discovered her in the kitchens last night with a high fever and sent her to bed." Sofia opened the door further and Cedric could tell by the crimson of her cheeks that she wasn't anywhere near well enough to be up and walking around. "She shouldn't even be out of bed." He added pointedly, shooting her a stern glare.

"Oh... Alright. I can take that in and make sure she gets some rest." Violet told him, reaching for the tray. He felt a hint of disappointment at not being able to deliver the soup he'd put so much effort into making, but it wasn't really the sort of thing he could argue about. It was her job, not his, to take care of the girl, after all. Besides, this makes her someone else's problem. He handed the tray over to the maid, letting go as soon as he could be sure she wouldn't drop it, then began to walk back to his workshop.

"I'm not hungry!" Sofia insisted, loudly enough for him to hear. The next sound was that of a door being slammed. Cedric turned to see the maid standing in the hallway, her face a mix of uncertainty and... sadness? Cedric couldn't be sure, but that was definitely the impression he got before she hurried away.

He returned to the tower, but once again found himself unable to concentrate on work. Instead, he kept thinking about the scene he'd witnessed in the hall, and how completely out of line Sofia had been. Despite trying to convince himself that her tantrum was none of his concern, it continued to nag at him. Annoyed, he stormed back down to her room, determined to give her a piece of his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he flung open the door and marched up to the girl's bedside. Sofia was curled up on the mattress, obscured entirely by her coverlet save for a small portion of her face, which peered at him miserably.

"Go away!" She demanded, pulling the fabric down over even that little bit. Undeterred, Cedric yanked the blanket off of her, ignoring her small squeak of protest.

"No. I have something to say to you, and you are going to listen, damn it!" He paced the floor, collecting his thoughts before speaking again. "You behaved like a rude, spoiled brat. The way you treated your maid earlier was completely uncalled for."

"I didn't want that person to take care of me." Sofia explained quietly, face flushing in anger.

"Why not? That's her job, innit?" Cedric demanded, flummoxed by her words. "She was only trying to-"

"Because it's her job!" Sofia spat out, surprising both of them with her interruption. She clamped a hand over her mouth, just now coming to terms with why she reacted the way she had earlier. She didn't want anyone to pretend to be concerned for her out of obligation, she wanted someone to actually worry over her, the way Cedric seemed to the night before. She stared up at him, willing him to understand a feeling she didn't have any words for.

"I see..." He paused, recognising her frustration. "All the same, I want you to apologise to her. Understand?" Sofia nodded firmly, gripping the bottom of her nightgown in determination. If it would make him less angry with her, then apologising to Violet was something she could easily do.

"I have work to do. Get more sleep, you still look like shit." Cedric informed her, quickly taking his leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** Since I still feel a little guilty for the rehashing in ch3, I decided to put up the next chapter today. Thank you to everyone who's commented so far, it made me really happy. Enjoy!

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Cedric was too engaged with his research to notice as the door swung open, a small girl tiptoeing inside slowly. The fact that she hadn't been spotted yet gave her ample time to take in the sight of the workshop, covered with dirty pots and pans of every size imaginable.

"Hey, Mister, what is all this?" She called out, examining a cast iron dutch oven filled with gelatinous yellow glop.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you how to knock?" He grumbled, not bothering to look up from his work as he easily sidestepped her question. Ignoring him, Sofia began collecting the spoilt dishes, carrying as many as she could handle at once down the steps that separated his workshop from his living quarters. Annoyed, Cedric threw down his quill, blotting ink across the parchment he'd set out to write on but hadn't yet, and followed after her.

"What do you think you're doing, brat? Don't just waltz into someone else's home uninvited." He chastised as she loaded the first pot into the sink and dug through his drawers for a fresh scouring pad. When she found what she was seeking, she stood and began filling the pot with steaming hot water.

"This is chicken soup, right?" She pointed to the layer of semi-solid gunk burnt into the pot. "I'm sorry I refused it. If I had known... anyway, the least I can do is take care of the mess so just leave it to me." She grinned up at him, a smile that showed off missing baby teeth and caused her nose to scrunch up, and Cedric found himself totally disarmed by the endearing sight she presented.

"Fine, but don't push yourself. If you get sick again it'll be annoying. If you feel like you need to rest, it's alright to leave it for later. Deal?" He insisted, determined not to let the still recovering girl relapse on his account, but only, he reminded himself sternly, because it would be troublesome for him I'd she did. Sofia held out a pinky towards him, and Cedric stared at it curiously. "What're you doing?" Sofia scoffed at him, shaking her head with disbelief, but didn't retract her hand.

"It's a pinky swear, Mister. It means I'm promising to do as you said." She explained, reaching the little finger further towards him. Cedric reluctantly wrapped the pinky of his uninjured hand around it, then quickly jerked away.

"I'm going back to work. Try not to disturb me." He groused before stuffing his hands deep inside his pockets and hastily retreating from the room, marching back up to his workshop.

Around lunch, Greylock, an old school acquaintance whose company Cedric sometimes found tolerable, came calling at the door, interrupting the sorcerer while he was in the middle of concocting the potion he'd been working on. Even though Cedric always either slammed the door in his face or insisted they go elsewhere to meet, today he invited him in, figuring he couldn't very well up and leave a strange child in the tower by herself. More than ready for a meal, despite being unaccustomed to eating on a regular schedule, Cedric left him in the workshop so he could chase Sofia away. He found her still hard at work in the small kitchen, scrubbing out a cauldron-turned-soup-pot with all her might. Approaching her from behind, he reached past her to turn off the sink.

"You've done enough. Go to the castle kitchen and get something to eat. I have company." Paying him no mind, Sofia continued to scour away at the filthy container, putting as much effort as she could muster into making it come clean. "Hey, I said enough! You'll make yourself sick again if you work so hard. I won't bother with you next time."

"But I haven't finished yet." She whispered, keeping her eyes trained downward. "You did all this for me, and I didn't even get to taste it." Sofia accidentally squeezed the scouring pad as she curled her fists in frustration. She dropped it into the cauldron with an 'ouch' and Cedric was quick to snatch up her hand for inspection.

"It's fine." Sofia reassured him, trying to pull free. Cedric gripped her wrist tighter to make her hold still.

"Is not, you're bleeding." He countered, dragging her into a better lit part of the room to make sure none of the steel wool had embedded into the skin.

"Mister... What happened to your hand? It wasn't bandaged last night." Sofia asked, distracting Cedric from his mission.

"Nothing. Don't be so nosey." He snipped. "Damn brat, why weren't you wearing gloves. Your fingers have gone all pruney, can't tell what the fuck I'm looking at..." He continued to launch a stream of complaints, missing the way Sofia was staring in surprise at the doorway behind him.

"Well, well, Hattrick.. You didn't tell me you were hiding a beauty." Cedric froze, then practically shoved Sofia's hand away from him.

"Go in the washroom and fetch a bandage from the cupboard, then see yourself out. Understood?" Unfazed, Sofia nodded energetically and dashed off to do as he told her. "Thought I told you to wait upstairs in the workshop?"

"You did, and now I see why. I never guessed you would have that sort of hobby, though." Greylock chuckled, elbowing Cedric in the ribs.

"One more comment on the matter, and I'll turn you into a lizard." Cedric warned flatly, drawing his wand from his pocket for good measure.

"Oh please, I'm just teasing you a little." Greylock breezed past him to glance in the tiny fridge, shaking his head at the near-empty state of it. "What were you intending to serve for lunch, anyway? There's nothing here."

"I'm going!" Sofia came back out from the washroom and bowed politely to Cedric and his guest.

"Stay inside today, and get more rest." Cedric commanded irritably.

"I will." Sofia answered with a wave, climbing up the stairs.

"And don't forget to eat something before you go back to your room!" Cedric shouted after her.

"Goodbye, Mister!" Sofia turned and beamed at him, showing off that same brilliant smile he'd seen earlier, then left his quarters.

"Very interesting, indeed." Greylock mumbled before turning to Cedric. "Let's go to the pub, old friend."

"It's still early afternoon." Cedric protested, knowing perfectly well that they would probably do just that. "And I don't recall us being friends." Greylock laughed off his comments good-naturedly as he practically forced Cedric out of his tower.

* * *

Boo, Greylock being gross... But he's really just taking advantage of something new to pick on Cedric about.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Just realised today that it's Graylock, with an 'a'. Too lazy to go through and fix it in my finished chapters at the moment, but I will try my best to remember to spell it right from now on.

* * *

A knock at the door interrupted Cedric as he napped at his desk, startling him so much that he nearly fell out of his chair. It came again as he stretched his sore muscles, a very specific pattern of thumps, and even though he'd never heard it before he knew immediately that it belonged to the new princess. It's annoying, just like her. On the third try, he decided that if he just kept quiet, she would probably go away. Instead, the door swung open and she stepped into his workshop, protectively clutching a small grey bundle to her chest.

"Hey, Mister, I found an orphaned bunny in the far gardens today." Sofia informed him, bringing the discovery closer to his desk. Cedric had no interest in sharing in the girl's excitement on the matter, and had never been much for faking enthusiasm unless it suited some specific purpose for him, so he didn't bother.

"So?" Cedric asked, pretending to busy himself with the closest spell book he could find in the slim hope that she would give up and find someone else to pester. "Take him back outside, he's probably riddled with fleas."

"I want to take care of him." Sofia explained quietly. What's that have to do with me? He thought, flipping a page casually. Sofia stepped even closer, trying, he assumed, to draw his attention to the helpless animal she was holding.

"If you want to keep the thing, then take it to your room." He insisted, still not looking at her. She shook her head firmly, and Cedric was beginning to see that he'd underestimated her stubbornness. The other royal children would have given up already, but she refused to be turned away. It was impressive, though he'd never admit it aloud.

"I can't do that. Someone would discover him." She countered, her voice beginning to sound desperate, and Cedric braced himself, already guessing at what would come next. "Can't I keep him here?"

"Absolutely not." Cedric slammed the book shut, spinning the chair around to face her. "Return that vermin to the garden and leave me alone." She let out a small gasp, instinctively taking a step back from the man, though she wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"If nobody takes care of him, he'll die." Sofia pressed, unshed tears springing up at the corners of her bright eyes. "I promise, I'll do all of the work, so please just let me keep him here!" Cedric stared at her in shock as she made her impassioned plea, unable to recall seeing her have an outburst like this one in the time he'd known her. Rather, until now she seemed inclined to just tiptoe about, trying not to cause any trouble, not speaking up even when she wanted something. Why am I falling for this? I don't want a rabbit in my tower, or my life for that matter, any more than I want this brat in it.

"You'll do all the work?" Cedric repeated hesitantly. Sofia gave a firm nod in response and Cedric sighed out his defeat. He held out his pinky to her, expecting her to seal this promise with the same gesture she'd used for the last one, and she blinked down at it in surprise for several seconds before wrapping her much smaller finger around it. "Do whatever you want. But don't come crying to me if Wormy eats the damned thing." Lifting his wand, he conjured some wild carrots for Sofia to feed the rabbit.

"That's amazing!" Sofia breathed, watching him in total awe. He recalled that she'd been overly impressed with his botched flower spell on the day they'd met, too, giving him reason to believe she hadn't had much experience with magic before coming to the palace.

"Conjured food lacks nutrition, so you'll bring him something proper to eat from now on, got it? If you don't, he'll starve." Cedric wanted to be clear with the girl right from the start that he wouldn't in any way be involved with the animal, or by extension her. He wasn't about to make a habit of collecting strays. "And you both stay in the workshop, don't just go wandering into my private quarters like you did the other day." Sofia didn't seem to be listening, already enthralled with feeding her new pet.

"You'd better heed what I'm saying, brat, or I really will feed him to Wormwood." He warned. Sofia peeked over her shoulder, flashing him that wide grin that he was growing increasingly susceptible to.

"I'll take very good care of him." She promised again. Turning back to the baby rabbit, she made a series of small clicking noises as she fed it carefully, and Cedric wondered how he was ever supposed to concentrate on his work with the two of them around.

"By the way, I apologised to that maid." Sofia told him as she hoisted herself onto his worktable to sit beside the small animal, lifting him into her lap so they could snuggle.

"What maid?" Cedric responded in a disinterested tone, pretending he'd already forgotten the entire incident. So, I scolded the brat, huh? He smiled to himself as he returned to his research, feeling an odd sense of pride at the notion.

About an hour into Sofia's visit, there was another knock at the door, this time one that Cedric recognised, though he wasn't at all happy to hear it. He hadn't seen the man since the last time Sofia was in his tower, and he didn't appreciate the jabs he'd received over the girl's presence. He especially didn't want a repeat performance while she was in earshot of the man.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Sofia asked, glancing up at the sorcerer curiously. Cedric shook his head, not bothering to look up from his books. For the second time that day, he wrongly assumed his visitor would give up if ignored long enough.

"I'm busy." He snipped, thumbing to the next page and lifting his quill to pen a few notes. Before he could comprehend what she was up to and put a stop to it, Sofia padded barefoot across the room and answered the door for him, opening it just a crack at first and peeking through.

"Mister, your friend is here." Sofia announced loudly, throwing the door wide to let Greylock in. The visiting sorcerer marched into the room, waving to the little girl as he stopped beside her. He's not my friend.

"Who told you to open the door, brat?" Cedric vehemently protested, refusing to acknowledge Greylock's presence in the tower before he was good and ready to deal with the former schoolmate.

"Now, Redbrick, don't be so harsh with our little princess... She was only being polite. Weren't you, sweetheart?" Greylock ruffled the top of Sofia's dense curls, a motion that served to further irritate Cedric, though he couldn't put his finger on the exact reason for it.

"She's not your princess, Greylock. You don't even live in Enchancia." Cedric grumbled. Sofia ignored their bickering to return to the company of her pet, accustomed to staying out of adult matters.

"Too true, but she's still the prettiest princess in all the kingdoms." Greylock retorted, leaning against the corner of Cedric's work table to watch the girl as she bonded with the small hare, an addition to Cedric's tower that he found to be almost as comically out of place as the princess herself.

"Was there something else you wanted, or did you just come here to tease the brat?" Cedric demanded, trying once more to return to his notes, though his concentration was a thing of the past at this point.

"Nonsense, how could I have known she'd be here in the middle of a school day?" Greylock asked with a shrug, flashing a sly smile at Cedric as realisation dawned on him. He spun around just in time to see Sofia's head snap up, stealing an anxious peek in his direction before turning beet red and avoiding his stern glare. Cedric stood hastily, knocking his chair backwards with the motion, and stormed across the room to confront Sofia while Greylock observed them with amusement.

"Hey, you! Look at me!" Cedric demanded, cupping her chin to make her face him when she stubbornly refused to do so on her own. "Why aren't you in school?" Sofia shrugged, trying to shake free of his grip, but he had the advantage of both size and strength.

"Trick shoes." She finally whispered so quietly that he couldn't make out the words.

"Speak up." Cedric ordered, still staring angrily down at her. If she expected to just evade him until he got bored and ignored her like every one else did, she had sorely misread the man.

"Trick shoes in dance class. I fell in front of everyone." Her face flushed with shame, and Cedric released her, taking a step back as he decided what to say to her next.

"Even still, you don't just leave school whenever you like. You didn't even tell them you were going, did you?" Sofia shook her head, and Cedric sighed.

"Who gave you the shoes?" Greylock interjected, crossing his arms as he waited for her to give up the culprit. That's none of our damned business. Cedric wanted to say it, but Sofia spoke first.

"I don't know." She stated firmly. She's lying. Cedric didn't know how he could tell, but he was absolutely sure that her answer was a lie. Either way, he had no intention of prodding further, or interfering with her problems, so he left it alone.

"You can't be here while you're supposed to be in school, you'll just cause trouble for me." Cedric told her, reaching up to take down a birdcage that hung in his workshop, even though Wormwood hated it too much to ever use it. "Put the rabbit in here and get out. I don't want to see you again until it's time for his dinner."

"What do you intend to do?" Greylock questioned him after the door closed behind Sofia. Cedric retrieved his chair and sat back down at his desk, giving the other sorcerer the cold shoulder.

"You're still here?" He waved his hand dismissively, even though he knew it would take more than that to get rid of Greylock. Sure enough, the man kept his eyes on Cedric, showing no interest in letting the subject drop. "I intend to stay out of it, that's what."

"But Sofia is-" Cedric whipped his head up, making no attempt to hide his annoyance. Unlike Greylock, he had some firsthand experience with that sort of thing, and if it taught him anything, it was that adult interference would only complicate matters further.

"The brat is capable of taking care of herself." He pushed back stubbornly. "Besides, it's just one incident between children, it'll sort itself out soon enough."

* * *

I will admit to being a little torn. We SHOULD be catching up the ball from Once Upon a Princess, and I have a couple different versions completed of how that goes in this story, but I'm not 100% sure I want to include it at this point, or mess with the timeline to include it later, or even have it in there at all... I guess I just have to think it over some more...


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note** : Shorter chapter, here... I was having some health problems, and I also wasn't sure I was even going to do this storyline at all. I played around with a few different ways it could go, even having him give her the spell but reversing it after she begged him to, but I think this was the best version so here we go...

* * *

Cedric stood in his usual spot, watching the flying coach land in front of the palace steps. Sofia came out ahead of the other children, and glanced in his direction but raced inside without greeting him. He thought to stop her, if only just to remind her to come by and feed the rabbit, but something about her expression gave him pause.

'The brat is capable of taking care of herself.' That's right, he'd said that to Greylock just yesterday, when he decided to stay out of the girl's affairs. There's no reason for me to involve myself. The brat's problems are none of my business. Her step-siblings marched past without taking notice of the sorcerer, as could be expected.

"I can't wait! She's going to make a total fool of herself at the wedding ball!" He overheard the older princess gloating to her brother. He slid to the other side of the pillar to avoid being caught eavesdropping. "All thanks to those trick shoes we gave her."

"I don't know, Amber... What if she tells on us?" The Prince asked, his back now to Cedric as he opened the large door, holding it for his sister.

"Oh, please! Who's daddy going to believe, us or some peasant girl?" She reassured him before disappearing inside. Cedric didn't realise his fists were curling until the still lit cigarette he held between his thumb and forefinger burnt his palm, leaving a tiny round hole in the fabric of his glove.

It was then that dark thoughts, ones that hadn't troubled him for a while, came creeping back. They started as whispers in the recesses of his mind, but slowly grew as he sat alone in his workshop, thinking about the royals and his own history with them, waiting for Sofia's after school visit. He'd taken a lot of abuse from Roland when they were children, and things hadn't changed much since they became adults. Now, it seemed his children were following in dear old daddy's footsteps, and Cedric wasn't about to sit idly by and watch history repeat itself, not when he could so easily do something about it. The details on how, exactly, to put an end to their bullying remained hazy until just before dinner, when Sofia came round to give her rabbit his snack.

"Mister, could I ask you a favour?" She practically squeaked out nervously, barely able to look at him as she sat on his worktable, fiddling with the hem of what he strongly suspected to be her only gown. Roused suddenly from his thoughts, all he could muster was a small 'hm' in response. "It's about the ball tonight. Since I was sick, I missed my chance to learn the waltz, and I don't want everyone to laugh at me."

"Then don't go." He replied shortly, lifting a book of curses as it occurred to him that it might be fun to turn the king and his children into snakes, and flipping through to see if he had a spell for that.

"I have to!" She insisted, jumping down from her spot to approach him. "It's amazing that I'm even allowed to go, and if I mess this up, I might never get another chance." Cedric glanced up from his reading, recognising the distress in the girl's eyes more than he'd care to admit.

"What do you want from me?" He relented, tossing the book onto his desk to give her his full attention.

"A dancing spell?" She suggested, her eyes searching him hopefully. Cedric paused, trying to recall if he even had such a thing to give her. "Please? This could be my only chance to fit in." Absently, Cedric reached out and patted the girl's head, not unfamiliar with the desperate wish to be a part of one's own family.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." He picked up another book and thumbed through, hastily penning the words onto a scrap of parchment for her. She squealed happily as she accepted it, then put her rabbit up and ran off, presumably to get dressed for the ball.

I hope she does the spell right... He thought, realising he should have taken the time to walk her through the incantation before she left. That's when it finally hit him. She was a child, with no training whatsoever in magic. Upon attempting her first spell something could very easily go wrong. Something like... He picked up the first tome again, scanning through the pages until he found the perfect punishment.

"A sleeping spell!" He called out, startling his familiar, who woke and flew off from his perch with an irritated caw. "All I have to do is cast this at precisely the same time the brat uses the dancing spell, and if anyone looks into it, they'll just think she fucked up the spell. No one will ever suspect a thing." He muttered to himself, memorising the instructions.

Cedric had never been so eager to go to a ball in all his life. He dressed in his good robe, the charcoal-coloured one he kept for special occasions, and rushed down to the ballroom, arriving just as the first few guests were beginning to trickle in. Claiming a place near the front, he waited impatiently for the festivities to get under way.

Soon, Sofia was descending the stairwell, dressed in a splendid gown and, for once, properly groomed. The sight of the girl masquerading as one of the nobles irritated him, but he didn't have time to dwell on such things, so he firmly snapped himself back to the matter at hand. Cedric's keen eye spotted the parchment she was hiding behind her back. Good. All she has to do is cast that spell... He thought, discreetly drawing his wand from his pocket as Roland greeted her at the bottom, leading her out onto the floor.

Sofia scanned the room, and gestured a hasty thumbs up when their eyes met. If he went through with this, it slowly dawned on him, everyone would believe the royal family's enchantment was her fault, and that included the young princess herself. He tried to imagine the torture the girl would put herself through, and ultimately decided revenge shouldn't come at the price of traumatising her. With a disappointed sigh, he tucked his wand back into his robe.

The brat may have saved you this time, He mused, keeping his eyes trained on Roland as the man waltzed poorly with his step-daughter, despite how gracefully she danced thanks to his spell. But this isn't over, for you or your children. Sofia found him in the crowd, flashing the Sorcerer a grateful smile, and he forced himself to return the favour before retreating outside to have a cigarette and puzzle out a way to make good on his threat without causing further damage to the new princess.

"Did you see me? I did it, and nobody laughed at me." Sofia announced proudly, running out to join him on the patio. "It's all because of you, Mister! Thank you!" She gave him a quick hug before scurrying back to the ball. Cedric took a long drag of his cigarette, scowling at her words. Don't thank me. Just because you passed yourself off as one of them for a night, they still won't accept you.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note** : I struggle so much with chapters where there's awkwardness between characters, because I find it hard to keep the scenes going. So this one really gave me fits until the end.

* * *

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Cedric cringed at a voice he knew all too well as he turned a corner, spying the Steward in the midst of lecturing an equally familiar little girl. While he watched Sofia shrink away from Baileywick, he debated leaving her to her fate and simply taking a detour back to his tower. She's none of my business. He repeated words that were becoming a mantra of sorts lately, though he rarely had the good sense to follow his own advice on the matter. "Just look at your gown! What do you have to say for yourself?" Sure enough, Sofia's dress was caked with dirt, and she was holding the top layer of skirts up so she could use it like a basket, no doubt to carry her rabbit's lunch up to the tower in secret.

"I-I-" Sofia stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I asked Princess Sofia to gather some herbs for me." Cedric interrupted, coming to stand at the child's side. Baileywick cleared his throat, regarding the pair with palpable contempt.

"Cedric. Why am I not surprised that you're involved." He spat out the Sorcerer's name like a curse, and Cedric had to remind himself that he was no longer a boy, and he actually outranked the older man, now. "You've been nothing but trouble since the day you were born."

"Please don't be cross with him. I simply wanted to be helpful, and I'm the one who was running!" Sofia burst out before Cedric could retort, begging for forgiveness on the Sorcerer's behalf.

"Fine, but let this be a warning for both of you. Sofia, don't get yourself involved with such shameless people." His tone filled with even more venom as he turned his attention to Cedric. "If I catch you treating the children as your personal servants again, I will have no choice but to take the matter straight to King Roland." With that, he did an about face, stalking off in the opposite direction. Cedric waited until Baileywick's back was out of view to let out a deep sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry." Sofia whispered, tugging on the Sorcerer's sleeve, though she kept her head down, hiding her face from him. "I caused trouble for you when I promised that I wouldn't."

"I can't stand that fucking man." Cedric growled, rubbing his face as he ignored her apology. "Those for the creature?" He gestured to the plants bundled in her soiled skirt, and Sofia gave a soft nod.

"I found vegetables planted in the side garden. Even some carrots." She was still barely audible, but seemed to cheer up slightly. "I'm a little late, since I had to dig them up myself. Clover must be really hungry by now."

They walked to the tower together, pausing at the door so Cedric could unlock the workshop. Once inside, Sofia went straight to task, depositing her small bounty on the table and taking the rabbit out of his cage so he could eat lunch. Cedric kept a discreet eye on her, wondering if he should try to lift the girl's spirits. I wouldn't even know how to do something like that. He concluded, sinking into his desk chair. Her mood isn't my problem, anyway.

"Mister... Have you really known Baileywick all your life?" She broke the silence a while later. Why is it that she calls him by his name?

"Unfortunately." He groused, wishing she had chosen any other topic besides the Steward.

"Was he always so...?" Sofia threw up her hands, at a loss for a good word to adequately describe how Baileywick made her feel.

"Strict?" Cedric supplied, a mild word for the man, as far as he was concerned, and Sofia nodded, content with the term. "Just stay out of his way from now on, alright?"

"I think Clover's getting bigger." She mused after another pause. Grateful for the change of subject, Cedric joined her at the worktable to examine the animal.

"So he has. He'll be big enough to release soon." This was clearly the wrong thing to say, judging by the look of panic on the princess's face.

"Oh, but... He wouldn't know the first thing about living as a wild rabbit." She replied anxiously. "He might get eaten, or have trouble finding food. He's used to being a pet, now." The girl had a point, Cedric reluctantly admitted to himself. The bunny couldn't have been more than a few days old when she found him, there was no way he'd survive if they just deposited him back in the gardens.

"I suppose he could stay a little longer, but you should try to find someone who can take proper care of him." He relented, returning to his desk. Truthfully, he didn't have anything pressing to do, and it was technically his day off, but for some reason it was far easier to spend Sofia's visits with his nose buried in work, so he shuffled through his spell books in search of a distraction. I never know what to say to her... Besides, she's just here for the rabbit. It should be fine if we don't talk.

Unable to find any busywork, he wordlessly retreated to the curtained off room adjoining the workshop, selecting a book of fairy tales and retiring to the sofa. About mid-way through the first story, he heard the soft clank of the rabbit's cage door sliding shut and assumed that Sofia would be leaving soon.

"What are you reading?" The girl questioned, claiming a spot beside him to peek over his shoulder.

"I told you everything but the workshop was off limits." Cedric mumbled, not looking up from his book. "You move like a damned cat, you know that?" Gesturing to her bare feet as he added the last part, he shut the book and set it on the cushion beside him, planning to drag the girl out of the tower.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just thinking that maybe..." She paused, deciding against whatever she was about to say, but not before the sorcerer's curiosity could get the best of him. "Never mind. I'm sorry to interrupt." She stood to leave, and he knew he should let her. That's what he wanted, to be left alone in his tower, the sooner the better.

"Finish your sentence." He ordered, wrapping a hand around her small wrist to halt her exit. "If you want something, you should just say so." Her cheeks glowed as she stared down at him with those wide, jewelled eyes, and Cedric instantly regretted choosing this moment to examine her.

"Would you read it to me?" He released her wrist in surprise, scoffing at the request. "Sorry, it was a silly idea." He handed her the book, but she shook her head instead of accepting it, and the sorcerer finally grasped the meaning behind her request.

"You mean to tell me you can't?" He demanded, but the memory of the wedding ball crept up, discrediting that theory. "No, you read the spell..."

"I can do it a little.. a-and sound certain letters out." Cedric's heart raced as he realised what a mistake he'd made.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" He demanded, growing more agitated by the second, and finding it easier to blame her for not telling him sooner than to deal with his guilt. It's just dumb luck that nothing terrible happened to her. When he glanced back up, Sofia was disappearing through the curtain.

"Get back here, brat! Don't just leave when someone's talking to you." It was too late, according to the sound of his tower door shutting behind the child. He frowned down at the book beside him, the one he now wished he'd just read when she asked him to. It was such a simple request. She's none of my business. He insisted yet again. With a groan, he hurried out of the tower, slamming the door behind him.

He caught up to her halfway down the stone staircase, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him properly.

"I am not your father! I refuse to accept the burden of reading your bedtime stories while you remain ignorant." Sofia swallowed hard, squeaking out an 'Okay' that barely passed for speech. Cedric curled his fists at his sides, trying to persuade himself to shut up and go back to the workshop before he said something stupid. "But... if you want to learn, I'm willing to teach you." And... there it was. Sofia threw her arms around his waist before he could stop her, though he did pry himself free as fast as possible, straightening his robe in irritation.

"You would really do that?" She grinned up at him, undeterred by the harsh manner in which he'd made the suggestion. "That would be amazing!"

"I have conditions. You'll learn Latin, too, in case you get it in your head to go fucking around with magic again. And if you miss a single lesson, that's the end of the whole experiment." Cedric ticked off the details of the arrangement, already sure he would come to regret the entire thing. "If that's agreeable, we'll start tomorrow."

"There's school tomorrow." Sofia responded, chewing her lip as she waited for his reply.

"Before school, then. Just this once you can come downstairs and wake me if I'm not up." With that, he took his leave, berating himself for getting involved even more than he already was. It just irked him to think no one had bothered to teach the child to read.

...

Sofia rose with the sun, stretching well rested limbs as she threw her legs over the side of her window seat. Unable to fasten all the trappings of royal clothing by herself, she dug one of her old dresses from the back of her closet and threw it over her head, then hurried out of her room and down the increasingly familiar path to Cedric's tower.

Assuming he would still be sleeping, she didn't bother to knock, instead inching the door open until she could squeeze through. On the other side of the barrier, the sorcerer leaned against his worktable, sipping from a mug as he watched her with narrowed golden eyes. She bowed her head apologetically, waiting to be invited in properly before taking another step inside.

"Knock, brat." His voice was hoarse, and his face was drawn, leaving Sofia to wonder if he'd even been to bed as she lifted a hand to rap her knuckles against the door. He acknowledged her with a slight nod, and she scurried the rest of the way into the tower.

"I thought you'd be sleeping." She explained, aware that the reason didn't help her case any. Cedric grunted his displeasure through another mouthful of hot liquid. "What's that?" She ventured.

"Coffee." He replied, setting it on the table beside him. Sofia eyed it, thinking about how good the nearly black drink smelled. Cedric smirked and lifted the cup again, holding it out to her. "Want a sip?" Sofia eagerly accepted the gesture, only to regret it seconds later when the bitter fluid hit her tongue, making her gag and sputter. The only thing that made the experience worthwhile was the quiet laughter the sorcerer tried to hide behind his glove.

She stuck her tongue out in an over-exaggerated expression of disgust, secretly delighting in the way it made him all the more amused. "How can you drink that?" She demanded.

"They say it's an acquired taste." He told her, finishing off the beverage in one large gulp. "But really, no one would drink it if it weren't for the side effect." Sofia wondered what he meant, but was loath to admit that she didn't already know, so she decided to change the subject.

"So... you said that you would-" Before she could finish, Cedric waved her into the library, placing the same book she'd seen him with the day before into her hands. He sat on the sofa, and she followed suit, scooting as close to the man as she could get away with. He smelled like the coffee and smoke, hints of the aromas she'd come to associate with his potions blended in, and she smiled to herself as he reached across her to open the cover and thumb through to a predetermined page, marked with a folded corner at the top.

"We'll start with this one, just because I like it the best..." He instructed, placing his index finger below the first word. "Go ahead." Sofia knew this one, and felt herself relax as she read it confidently.

"That's easy, it's 'sun'." Cedric let out a soft 'mhmm', sliding his finger to the next cluster of letters. "M-m..."

"Double O sounds like 'ooh'." He informed her. Sofia did as he said, and soon they were on to the next word, which he read for her, telling her that it was a name, so it would be too difficult to sound out properly.

As seemed to often be the case, right around the time that Sofia began wishing she could stay forever, it was time to leave.

"I only made it through the first few sentences." She complained, hoping he would tell her to stay, even though she was sure he wouldn't. Just as she expected, he stood, shooing her out of the library.

"I already told you, you can't be in the tower during school. Besides, I have work to do." She chanced one more wistful gaze in his direction before slipping out of the tower.

Poor Cedric... His walls are crumbling, but he's too stubborn to admit it, yet. :P


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** Yeah, I didn't space this one out, but I really like this chapter and wanted to post it. I could have posted the next chapter first, since they don't interfere with each other and could realistically happen in either order, but today I decided that this one goes better first. I tried to make it clear, but just in case: This happens about a week from the last chapter, which was roughly a week after the ball, making it a little over three weeks since they've met.

* * *

Cedric strode the corridors of the castle, following his normal weekend routine, which consisted of making a run to the village to peruse the stores of the local magical supply, swinging by the tobacco shop, then stopping at the bakery for a bite to eat before heading home. It wasn't much, but getting out of the palace was a welcome change, and the walk helped to clear his head, something he found himself especially in need of in the two weeks since the wedding ball.

As he exited the palace, busy shaking his current pack of cigarettes to dislodge one of the last few into his waiting palm, he tripped right over something. This was becoming such a regular occurrence that he didn't even need to look to know what, or rather who, was the cause of his fall.

"Are you alright, Mister?" Sofia stared down at him wide-eyed, searching for signs of injury. He shunned her offered hand, fairly certain he'd be more likely to pull her down with him than she would be to shoulder his weight, and stood of his own accord, brushing his robe off before it struck him: just a few weeks ago this exact same thing had happened, and at that time the girl cowered away, giving the impression that she might actually die of fright. Now she stood her ground, offering help instead of desperate apologies, smiling brightly at him as he returned to his task.

"You never learn, brat." He softly scolded, paying little mind to the fact that she had fallen in step with him as he fought with his pocket lamp until it produced fire, adding a refill of fluid to his mental shopping list. "What were you thinking, standing in the middle of the steps like that?" Sofia shrugged, still content to tag along with him until they reached the bridge.

"Where are you going?" She questioned, pausing as he stepped past the invisible border of the palace grounds.

"To Dunwiddie for some pressing errands." He stopped to finish the conversation, picking up on her hesitation.

He should leave her there, he reasoned. His involvement with this child began and ended with the rabbit she kept in his tower and her reading lessons, so there was no good reason to bring her along on his stroll. She shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, keeping her eyes trained on the overpass before them, and Cedric pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as he ignored his own sound advice yet again. "Would you like to come?" Sofia let out an eager squeal of acceptance, and with that, they crossed into the village, Sofia struggling to keep pace with Cedric's longer strides.

"This shop just opened recently. I used to have to go much further for supplies." He explained as they reached their first destination, a tiny bell ringing overhead to signal their entrance into the dimly lit building. For the most part, the place was still a mess, with a good deal of their stock packed away behind the counter while adequate shelving was being constructed. If the sight was a disappointment, Sofia showed no sign of it, darting to a finished section near the front and examining the wares with excitement.

"Do you really use all these for your spells?" She wondered aloud, lifting a small figurine that caused Cedric to grimace, snatching the fertility idol away and placing it forcefully back onto the shelf.

"Don't go touching everything, you don't know what will cause a strange reaction." Cedric chastised, leading her to a safer area near the counter. "Not all of these, some are for fortune tellers, midwives, healers..." He ticked off the different occupations that might utilise the assortment of magical goodies as he answered her question, Sofia's fascination growing as he explained.

"I didn't know there were so many uses for magic." She breathed, stopping to admire another small display before scurrying to close the growing distance between herself and the sorcerer. "And they all help people. That's amazing!" Cedric halted, his demeanour becoming far more serious.

"No, not all." He warned, gesturing to a curtained off back section, where he knew for a fact that the instruments for darker, more ancient magics were hidden away from the casual observer. "Stay clear of those other types of magic, brat." Sofia nodded solemnly, scooting past the doorway while chancing a reverent glance in its direction.

"Master Cedric, good to see you again." The dark-haired clerk greeted him as they came to the counter. "You're here about that book, right?"

"Along with my usual list, yes." Cedric answered, careful not to let the conversation with the witch distract him from keeping an eye on the curious child he'd brought along.

"I don't have it just yet. I'm afraid it's a good deal more difficult to come by than I thought it would be." She explained, filling a basket with the potion ingredients he needed restocked on a fairly regular basis.

He sighed, but bit his tongue, knowing that bickering with the shop owner would bring him no closer to his goals. "Would you like a lolly?" She reached into a small jar full of the candy in question, selecting a purple one and holding it towards Sofia, who looked to Cedric for an answer.

"Go on. She's giving it to you, isn't she?" He urged her, surprised to see a girl her age who didn't jump at the chance for a free treat. "It would be rude to refuse at this point." It seemed this was all she needed to enthusiastically accept, giving a small curtsy and a thank you in response. She really is a strange brat... Cedric placed some coins on the counter, completing the transaction.

Sofia's attention shifted from the adults to a stack of magical blocks next to the register, and the witch was quick to seize the opportunity, demonstrating by building a small tower, which hovered in the air above the counter.

"I only have one set at the moment... are you interested?" Cedric grimaced at the obvious sales pitch, and was about to refuse, when Sofia beat him to it, shaking her head firmly and bidding the woman good day. This put the sorcerer in the awkward position of trying to figure out why she didn't want a toy he wouldn't have bought her in the first place.

They left the store, Cedric too busy carrying his purchases and pondering the girl's behaviour to really notice much else. Sofia was still having trouble keeping up with him, and when she tried to increase her pace even further, her foot caught in the cobblestone, sending her flying into his robed back.

"Come on." Cedric insisted when she regained her balance, extending a hand. Sofia nearly grasped it, but pulled away at the last minute. "I suppose you're too big for the sort of thing." Cedric mumbled, as much to himself as to the girl beside him, as he started up again. Sofia scrambled to catch him, claiming his hand after all. As they made their way across the village, she hummed a song he wasn't familiar with, but decided he didn't particularly mind listening to.

The tobacco shop was a smaller but much neater affair, with proper aisles leading the shoppers back to the counter, where a fair-haired young woman sat on a stool, too vested in the novel she was reading to pay Cedric and Sofia much mind.

"Go and ask for a pack of A&Gs." He instructed, releasing her hand so he could dig through some containers for the lighter fluid he needed. "They're in a white package - you know the one, don't you?" Sofia promised that she did and scurried off.

"Can I help you, miss?" The shopkeeper asked, setting her book aside to stand up. Sofia pointed to the wall behind the young woman, where familiar white boxes rested on a shelf.

"One pack of A&Gs, please." She requested. The shopkeeper grinned as she took the cigarettes down, placing them on the counter for Sofia.

"Running errands, eh? I hope you at least get to keep the card." She mused kindly. The princess glanced up at her curiously.

"Card?" Sofia parroted, not at all sure what the woman was referring to.

"You don't know? Oh, I have a whole collection of them, look..." She reached under the counter and brought out a small stack of thick cardstock, each with a different picture of a beautiful, refined woman holding an ornate fan. Sofia's eyes lit up as she stared at the treasures in amazement. "They're found inside the cigarette packs."

Forgetting all about the purchase, Sofia raced back to Cedric's side, rambling excitedly as the sorcerer tried to calm her enough to figure out exactly what it was that had her so keyed up.

"Slow down, brat, I can't make heads nor tails of what you're saying." He gripped her shoulders to get her to be still a moment, and she took a deep breath before continuing.

"The card! Inside the cigarettes - may I have it? Please, Mister." Cedric plucked his almost empty pack from his pocket, dumping out the last cigarette and tearing down the side of the box to reveal, much to his surprise, a thick card with some artwork on it. Amused by the girl's enthusiasm, he tugged it the rest of the way out and handed it off to her. To think, I've just been throwing the packs away all this time.

While Sofia examined her prize, Cedric paid for his items, tucking them away as they left. Sofia was so busy examining every minute detail of her bounty instead of watching where she was going that Cedric convinced himself the girl would trip again, so he wordlessly took her by the hand, guiding her to the bakery.

The smells of cakes and breads greeted them before they even turned the corner, and Cedric's stomach gave an answering growl. Though he usually just grabbed a snack to eat on the way home, he figured since they'd already been on foot for a while, it might be called for to sit down inside to eat. A once over of Sofia only further committed him to this idea, as she appeared to be a little worse for wear, despite the good mood she was in.

The baker was an older gentleman, one who'd been so long established in this neighbourhood that Cedric could recall visiting as a child, anxious to spend any spare coin he'd happened upon on fruit filled pastries. He called out a 'hello' to them as they entered, and Cedric gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

He found the fact that Sofia hovered by the entrance fairly strange, but then he felt that way about most things she did. Like begging a practical stranger to keep a rabbit for her. He recalled, prodding her to leave the doorway and claim a seat for them.

He selected some desserts that he imagined would have caught his eye when he was small, paid a few coin, and sat down opposite the princess, sliding an apple fritter across the table. Excitement bloomed across her features as she tentatively accepted the offer, lifting the treat so slowly that he suspected she was giving him time to change his mind.

"Hurry up and eat, we haven't got all day." With that, she bit into the crust, and Cedric tucked into the cranberry bread he'd bought for himself.

"This is really good. Thank you, Mister." She began, setting it back down on the small plate. "I-I have a little bit of savings at home, so I promise I'll repay you when we get back..." Cedric furrowed his brow, then scoffed as it dawned on him that she'd been going out of her way to avoid costing him any money on the trip.

"I don't know what to do with a brat like you." He grumbled, looking her over carefully. "Keep your money, I'm not going to go into debt over a trip to the bakery."

"But, I don't want to be any trouble." She whispered, avoiding his gaze. We're well beyond that. You've been nothing but trouble since the moment we met. He decided against voicing the thought, figuring the girl had enough worries without him adding to them needlessly.

"It's... it's okay to trouble me sometimes." Sofia brightened, smiling up at him, and he quickly added: "Don't do it too much, though, or you'll become annoying. Got it, brat?" She nodded firmly, taking his warning to heart, though the carefree expression never left her face.

* * *

 **Super long after note:** So... The cigarette card, I feel like I want to write something about it here. While researching cigarettes of the time period - to make sure it was accurate for Cedric to be smoking them - waaayy back when I started this story, I found a brand named Allen & Ginter, which packed collectible cards into their packs to keep them from crushing and promote brand loyalty. One particular set is called "Fans of the Period", which is the one I described. They are gorgeous, and everyone should definitely go search them up.

Any road, I got the idea for Sofia to covet these little works of art that Cedric didn't even know existed, and wrote a chapter about it right away. In that version he was busy, so she offered to make the trip alone and came back to the tower super excited. But... I couldn't make the standalone version long enough to really count as a full chapter, so into the 'scraps' folder it went. Then I wrote this chapter, and it blended pretty seamlessly into their adventure. I'm so happy it actually made it into the final story somehow.

There were some things that happened with the cards and the cigarette lady (Joan, btw) afterwards that didn't get put back in... If I don't find a good spot for them, I'll add them in an author's note.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: This wasn't the next chapter, but something happens in what was supposed to be the next one that I decided needed some more build up, first, or it would seem too sudden. So I wrote this one to help fill the gap, and might work on another in-between chapter after this, though I haven't decided for sure, yet. As already, hope everyone enjoys!

* * *

Sofia hurried out of the library, bouncing on her heels as she ran to Cedric's desk, and practically shoved an opened book into his face.

"This is a recipe book, isn't it Mister?" She chirped, pulling it back to point at one of the illustrations on the page.

"S'right, what about it?" He tucked his work away for the moment, and turned his attention back to Sofia. He supposed the book must have been left from when his parents lived in the tower, though they never really sat down for home cooked family meals.

"I knew it! Can I try?" Cedric didn't respond right away, so she went on. "I want to make dinner for you. Please can I?"

"Won't you be missed?" Sofia shook her head, ducking so he wouldn't see that the question was upsetting. She's eating alone again? He shooed away a mental image of a young, mostly dark-haired boy sitting alone at the kitchen table, trying to remind himself that one thing had nothing to do with the other.

"There's an... Emperor something visiting, so I'm to eat in the kitchen." She nearly whispered. Cedric let out a small groan as he looked her over, trying to decide if he had it in him to send her away. "I just... I thought it might be nice to eat with Mister instead." Sofia set the book down on his desk and turned to leave, but he caught her shoulder after the first step.

"This is the only time you're allowed downstairs, understand?" Sofia gave a firm nod and spun back, her mood already lifting visibly. Cedric leafed through the pages until he found a recipe for cottage pie, his favourite food after his mother's flycakes, and a fairly basic dish to prepare, or so he'd heard somewhere, then flipped it around so she could see it. "You'll make this one."

"I can't read all of the words, though." She confessed, glancing up from the recipe to him, then back again.

"That's fine. I already figured as much." Cedric stood from his spot, retrieving his robe from the back of his chair and tugging it on over his tunic. "I'll go down to the castle kitchens and gather the ingredients. Don't get into anything while I'm out."

...

Cedric returned a short while later with a basket full of food, and motioned for Sofia to leave her perch on his worktable and follow him downstairs. He filled his glass percolator with coffee grounds and water, and while he waited for it to brew, enchanted a kitchen knife so that it would cut food but not skin.

"That's amazing!" Sofia cheered, watching in fascination as he demonstrated the tool's new safety feature on his arm. "You're so clever!"

Ignoring the child's praise, he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table, propping the book open so he could walk her through the preparations.

When everything was finished, Sofia placed a plate in front of him, then sat down across the table with her own, staring down at the dish proudly. They were just lifting their forks to tuck in when a knocking came from the door to the workshop, loud enough to be heard throughout the tower.

"I'll get it." Sofia announced, jumping up from her seat and making a mad dash for the stairs.

"Don't-" Cedric tried to stop her, but if she heard him, she paid him no mind. With his door left open, Cedric could just barely hear the girl telling Greylock that they'd made too much food, so he was welcome to join them. No, he isn't. Cedric grumbled to himself, taking his first bite without her.

The brat can cook. He mused, quickly taking another forkful into his mouth while Sofia returned with his unwelcome guest. This is incredible. He nearly forgot all about his annoyance as Greylock claimed a seat and Sofia served him a helping.

"You don't say grace?" Sofia watched the men curiously as they ate without first saying the mealtime prayer.

"Sorcerers don't follow the one god." Cedric informed her.

"Though there are exceptions, of course." Greylock added, then reached a hand across to squeeze Sofia's. "If you'd like, sweetheart, I'll say it with you today." Sofia shook her head at his offer.

"No thank you. I only asked because the king makes us do it in the dining room." She explained, seeming almost relieved by his answer. "I never said it before I came to the palace, and it feels weird to pray to his god instead of the ones we celebrated in the village."

Cedric was tempted to point out that it was wrong to force her, if she was clearly so uncomfortable with it, but decided against it. After all, no matter what he personally thought of Roland, the man was her father and he shouldn't interfere if it would stir up trouble between them.

"No one will make you say it tonight, so just eat." He told her instead, gesturing to her untouched meal. Sofia flashed him a grateful smile and took up her fork once more, still watching him closely. After a few bites, she stopped again.

"How is it?" She chewed on her lip nervously while waiting for an answer, but Cedric's mouth was full. Just as he finally swallowed so he could properly respond, Greylock beat him to it.

"This is fantastic, little princess. You are a very talented cook!" Though he complimented her, Sofia's eyes never left Cedric.

"It's much too salty." He criticised, pushing the half-eaten meal away and crossing his arms. I wanted to tell her it was good. He thought bitterly, shooting a dirty look towards Greylock, though it went unnoticed.

"If you don't like it, I could make you something else." Sofia dropped her fork, already standing to retrieve the cook book.

"Don't bother, I've lost my appetite." Cedric lied, standing as well to retreat to his chambers. By the look on Sofia's face, one would think he'd struck her, but he was too deep in his own mess to take the words back now. "Be sure to put away the rest, or it'll spoil." He reminded her before he disappeared.

Laying on his bed, he replayed the scene, remembering the girl's hurt expression. Exactly which one of us is supposed to be the child here? He reprimanded himself, taking his pack from his robe pocket and freeing a cigarette, even though he never smoked in his room. As he lit it, he promised himself that when the princess inevitability sought him out, he would tell her the truth.

...

Sofia stood frozen next to the table, willing herself not to get too upset by Cedric's harsh words. I don't understand... If he disliked it so much, why did he eat over half of it before he said so? She clenched her fists at her sides, fighting back tears, when Greylock patted her shoulder gently.

"You didn't fall for that act, did you?" She nodded softly, collapsing back into her chair. "Come on, you're a smart girl. If he didn't like it, why would he care if you let the rest go to waste?" Sofia thought this over, unable to come up with a good reason. He was so upset, though. She fretted, glancing towards the closed bedroom door.

"I don't know." She confessed after a minute.

"I promise, he was just being stubborn." Greylock reassured her, eating the last of his cottage pie. "If you don't believe me, put away the leftovers like he said, and check on them tomorrow. I'll bet there's a good deal less next time you look."

...

After Greylock left, Sofia worked up the nerve to knock on Cedric's door. As she'd expected, there was no response.

"I took care of the leftovers, and I cleaned up the kitchen, too." She called through the barrier, pausing to give him a chance to say something. "I'm going now."

The door opened suddenly and Cedric peeked through, surprising her since she was sure she wouldn't see him again until the next morning.

"G-goodnight." She gave a slight curtsy and began to leave.

"Hey, brat..." She twirled back, waiting anxiously to hear what he called after her for. "The food, it was alright."

"Really?" She broke into a wide grin, excited to receive such words from the sorcerer. "You really think so?"

"For your first try, I mean. Don't get arrogant just because it wasn't terrible." He was quick to add. Unbothered, Sofia waved happily to him.

"Goodnight, Mister! See you in the morning." With that, she ran up the stairs to the workshop.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** I'm so hesitant to post this chapter... This was always the plan, but I'm super scared that like half of you are going to hate it. Time to bite the bullet and see what happens, though... Also, Cedric is like 99.9% more likely to be a jerk if other people are around. He should probably work on that. :P

* * *

When Sofia came home from school, the first thing she noticed was that Cedric wasn't in his usual spot, having an afternoon smoke by the pillars. Assuming he was simply asleep at a weird hour again, she ran off to the side garden to collect some leaves and berries for Clover, gathering them up in her skirts as she went. Carefully, she carried her collection into the palace and up to the tower. She folded her gown so she could hold the makeshift pocket one-handed and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Unfazed, she let herself in, fetching the rabbit's cage and setting it in the middle of the worktable, then sliding the bits of his lunch through the bars for him. While he ate, she decided to tidy the workshop, since it appeared that the sorcerer had been hard at work since her lessons before she left for school.

When she came to his desk, an area she didn't often get to tend to, as he was usually pouring over his work there, she finally spotted the note he'd hastily scrawled for her and left on top of a stack of books.

Went out on some business. Won't be back until after you've gone to bed.

Setting the parchment back down, Sofia frowned at the empty room. He's bound to be hungry when he comes back. She reasoned. She remembered overhearing Greylock, on the day she first met him, say that there wasn't any food in the tower, something she'd seen for herself when she put leftovers in his otherwise empty fridge, and so she hurried out, racing to the palace kitchens in her excitement.

"No running!" Baileywick shouted from an adjoining hallway when she passed, the sound of his scolding making her cringe as she remembered that Cedric had warned her not to provoke the steward. She stopped briefly, bowing her head and muttering an apology before continuing her mission, albeit at a more reasonable speed this time. Once she reached her destination, she set about finding anything tasty that wouldn't turn if left out for too long, and came away with jerky, nuts, apples, and the ingredients for simple drop biscuits, a recipe she was fairly confident she could reproduce without the sorcerer's help.

It took a few trips, but she managed to get all of it into Cedric's smaller kitchen, then mixed the dough for the biscuits and left them to bake. Not sure how to pass the time while she waited for the oven, she figured Cedric wouldn't mind too much if she cleaned the messy house just a little.

Before she knew it, every room except his bedroom, which she had the good sense to steer clear of, was sparkling, and the biscuits were cooling on the counter. Satisfied, she prepared the rest of his makeshift meal, then put everything on a plate and neatly wrapped the whole thing with a large cloth napkin. Poor Clover must be getting lonely by now. She felt guilty for neglecting the rabbit, but there was still at least a little time left before bed, so she marched back upstairs and let him out of his cage, sitting on the table to play with him for just a few minutes.

Cedric trudged up the stairs to the tower, allowing himself to wallow in his self-pity. He'd been called away from his work, told that it was a matter of some urgency, only to spend the day at Mystic Meadows getting nagged and belittled by his father. The matter, it turned out, was a surprise birthday party for the old sorcerer, and his mother knew he would refuse to come unless she duped him. He was so upset throughout the event that he couldn't even work up an appetite for his mother's flycakes, let alone any of the other food offered to the guests, and his stomach was choosing this late hour to start protesting the fact.

The door's open. He noticed immediately, drawing back the hand he had stretched to retrieve his key. I'll have to remind that brat about locking up when she leaves. Just what he needed, more aggravation. He walked inside, not at all prepared for the sight of a young girl in her soiled lilac gown, curled up on his worktable fast asleep. Near her, the little grey rabbit hopped about, stopping every so often to place his front feet on her face as if trying to get her attention.

"Stop that. You'll wake her." Cedric commanded almost silently, picking the animal up and depositing him back inside of his cage. With a sigh, he gathered up Sofia and carried her through the palace to her chambers, where he tucked her into her own bed. Can't believe no one even checked on her. If Princess Amber was out of her room this late, the entire fucking palace would be in a panic. He groused, idly brushing a thick tendril of copper from her face.

"Mister?" She mumbled, her eyelids fluttering open only slightly.

"Go back to sleep." He insisted, turning to leave the room. He paused again at the door, glancing over his shoulder. "G'night, brat." He whispered before making his exit.

Back in his tower for the night, he cleared the rabbit's cage away properly, then went down to his living quarters, figuring he was in too foul a mood to get any work done, anyway. There, he got his second big surprise of the night when he found she'd cleaned the entire space from top to bottom, and even left him a dinner of sorts on the table. I told her not to come down here. He tried to be angry about the intrusion, but found it rather difficult when she'd gone through so much trouble to make things nice while he was out. Nothing I can do about it right now, so I might as well just eat. He convinced himself, taking one of the biscuits from the tray.

...

Cedric was napping on the settee in the library when the sound of the tower door opening roused him. Reasoning that the princess had forgotten her manners and barged in without knocking again, and that she would just occupy herself with her rabbit instead of pestering him, he closed his eyes, rolling onto his back to get more comfortable.

"It's so clean!" Came a voice that made him even more irritated than he normally was. "The spell books have all been alphabetised!" He heard feet tromping down his stairs, and the door to his private quarters opening.

"Even this part!" He could just barely make out what she was saying from this distance. A few minutes later, his sister was standing over him, her hands planted on her hips as she examined him suspiciously.

"What do you want?" He demanded, not bothering to mask his annoyance.

"How did your tower get so spotless? Did you go and get yourself a girlfriend without telling anyone?" She accused him, looking him over curiously.

"I did nothing of the sort." He insisted, sitting up and stretching his aching muscles.

"Well, how else do you explain-" Before she could finish, Sofia knocked at his door, and Cordelia shot him a knowing look as the girl entered without being acknowledged.

"Mister, are you home?" Cedric tried to get to the workshop first, hoping to shoo the princess away before she was stuck dealing with the sorceress, but Cordelia was already ahead of him.

"Who are you?" Cordelia asked, looking between the child and her brother, who now stood helpless in the doorway.

"Cordelia, this is Princess Sofia." He muttered the introduction, rubbing a hand through his mangled black hair, and Sofia studied the woman, a strange expression plastered across her small features.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Cordelia." She bowed politely, reminding Cedric that the child did indeed possess manners when it suited her needs.

"Oh my gods, you're so darling!" His sister exclaimed, hurrying over to get a better look at her. Cedric groaned and marched back into the library in defeat, not wanting anything to do with the chaos that had just been unleashed in his workshop, though he could still hear them from where he sat. "Sofia, would you like some tea? Ceddy, let's go downstairs and have some tea!" She continued, apparently without noticing that he'd escaped already.

"No, thank you." Sofia rejected the offer. "I just borrow the workshop to take care of Clover."

"Don't be ridiculous, this is no place for a little girl to be hanging around." She pressed on, stubborn as always. "It's so... dreary." I can hear you, you know. Cedric protested silently.

"I like it here." Sofia insisted, surprising Cedric, who believed she wouldn't hang around the tower if it weren't for the arrangement with her pet, and to a lesser extent her reading lessons. He crept back towards the doorway, his curiosity peaked. "Mister is very kind, and even though I don't do any magic myself, all of his spells and tools are interesting."

"Ceddy? Kind?" Cordelia repeated, sounding completely dumbfounded by the statement. This didn't offend Cedric in the least, since he was just as confused by the description as she was.

"Oh, yes. He let me keep Clover here, and he tended to me while I was sick. He's even been teaching me how to read." Sofia explained. Peeking back in, now, Cedric saw Cordelia lean in, whispering something to the girl that made her face go bright red. She began to stammer out a response, but Cedric decided it was time to put an end to whatever nonsense Cordelia was stirring up.

"Leave her be, already." He commanded, marching back into the room to tug Sofia away. "Go and tend to your rabbit, he's been aggravating me all day." Sofia lifted the door of the cage, gently scolding the animal for being a nuisance to the sorcerer while placing some leaves inside for it to eat.

"Convince Sofia to come downstairs and have a proper cup of tea with me." Cordelia pressed as the child followed his instructions. He wanted to object, but he knew his sister well enough to know that she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted. Nodding his head towards the stairs, he watched Sofia close the cage and follow Cordelia back to his quarters.

"Now, Sofia, I want to know all about you!" Cordelia insisted, searching unsuccessfully for Cedric's kettle. Her brother was much too committed to sulking at the kitchen table to be of any assistance in that regard. Sofia, sensing the sorceress's growing frustration, marched over to one of the deep drawers beside his sink and produced the kettle easily, stunning both of the adults in the room.

"Here you are, Miss Cordelia." She offered cheerfully. How come you use her name but I'm just 'Mister'? Cedric couldn't help but wonder, yet again, as Sofia set about tidying the table for tea time without being asked. Baileywick and Greylock, too. She wordlessly waved his elbows off the surface so she could clean a stack of parchments underneath, and Cedric leaned back in his chair to accommodate her. By the time the tea was poured and sat steeping in the cups, Sofia had the table spotless and was busy wiping down the counters.

"I suppose that answers my question from earlier." Cordelia mumbled, sitting down with her drink and blowing the steam off of it as her eyes followed the child thoughtfully. "Now I'm merely curious as to how you convinced a princess to be your maid." She whispered quietly enough to avoid being overheard by the girl.

"I didn't!" Cedric defended himself. "Who wants some pesky brat hanging around?" He was less careful about his volume, but Sofia didn't show any signs of being bothered by his words. Instead, she carried the two remaining cups to the table and set one in front of Cedric before claiming a seat for herself.

"So, how old are you?" Cordelia asked between sips of tea, curious to know more about the newest princess, though Cedric suspected her of having ulterior motives for this little chat.

"I'll be nine next week." Sofia proudly responded, a fact that caught Cedric off-guard. Not that he knew much about children, but he'd assumed from her size compared to the others in the castle that she was younger than they were.

"And you come here every day to visit your rabbit - the one from earlier?" Sofia nodded eagerly.

"Yes, ever since I moved to the palace." She supplied, smiling in the sorcerer's direction. "But Clover's a secret. If my parents found out, I don't think I'd be allowed to keep him."

"Really? You know, most sorcerer's have pets, but we call them familiars." Cordelia informed the child.

"I know that. That's why Mister has Wormwood." Cordelia smiled at her fondly, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder.

"Clever and cute! Don't your parents miss you when you spend all your time here?" A pained look flashed across Sofia's face, and Cedric decided he was fed up with his sister's interrogation.

"You know, Cordelia... You could take the rabbit off our hands, since your so worried about it. Callista would probably enjoy having a pet, and if Sofia can handle its care, I'm sure she could do at least some of it." Two pairs of hostile eyes now glared in his direction, but he did his best to avoid them as he sipped his tea. "Besides, without the animal here, Princess Sofia and I could go back to our normal lives."

"But I want to keep Clover!" Sofia cried out, looking quite distraught.

"I can't have a rabbit!" Cordelia objected at the same time. Cedric chose to debate with Sofia, ignoring his sister for the time being.

"You can't keep him a secret forever. Wouldn't it be best to find him a good home and stop playing at being his owner?" He went on, trying to pay no mind to Cordelia's continued complaints in the background. "The tower really is no place for a child, like Cordelia said earlier, and I could get much more done without you pestering me all the time."

"I like being here. Even if Clover wasn't here, I would still want to come." Sofia curled her fists, ducking her head as her cheeks flamed. "When I get to spend time with you, it makes me really happy, because..." Cedric could scarcely believe what he was hearing. She enjoyed spending time with him? That's ridiculous. No one likes to be around me, she's just making excuses.

"You don't have to lie to me, you come here for the rabbit, and that's fine for now, but it can't stay that way forever." He argued, setting his teacup down to grasp Sofia's shoulders, forcing her to face him properly so he could make her see reason.

"It's not a lie!" Sofia's aquamarine eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, and she let out an undignified sniffle.

"Don't cry about it. I hate your face when you cry!" Cedric hadn't meant it to come out as harsh as it did, he'd simply meant that it bothered him to see the girl cry, but he couldn't think of a way to fix what had been said as the first, fat tear rolled down Sofia's cheek. "No, I meant-"

"I love you, Mister!" Sofia slapped a hand over her mouth, staring in wide-eyed horror at the man she'd just confessed to. Cedric's grasp broke, and he opened his mouth, but his voice failed him, not that he had any idea what to say to her. Cordelia, too, went silent and watched the pair of them as Sofia freed herself from his slackened hands, dashing out of the kitchen as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Very nice, Ceddy." Cordelia admonished him, but he was still too flabbergasted to pay her any mind. "Way to be sensitive!" She stomped off after the princess, leaving him alone with his thoughts, which were an absolute mess. What the hell does a brat know about love anyway?

okay, so I try not to put "spoilers" in my author's notes, and this could technically be taken as one, but I PROMISE this is NOT a story where grown Cedric has any sort of romantic involvement with an 8 year old. Her feelings are completely one-sided. The question is how will he handle this news?


	11. Chapter 11

Sofia ran up the stairs and out into the workshop, both hoping and fearing that the person following behind her was the royal sorcerer she'd just confessed to. What did I do? What if he never talks to me again? Tears threatened to spill, but she kept them at bay as she sped across the stone floor. She tripped over the leg of the worktable and flew forward, but strong hands caught her, and when she looked up she found herself staring into the monocled face of Greylock the Grand. He checked her over with concern as she regained her balance, embarrassment growing by the second.

"Hello, little princess. Where are you off to in such a hurry?" His friendly demeanour only served to make her feel more miserable.

"I-I... I'm sorry, I really need to go." She mumbled, trying to escape his hold.

"Princess Sofia and Ceddy had a bit of a falling out." A female voice came from behind, the owner of the footsteps now clear. "Morning, Greylock." She added, coming into view.

"Good morning, Miss Cordelia." Greylock gave a slight bow to the woman, then turned his attention back to the princess, still locked in place by his grip. "What's all this about? I thought you two got along so well."

"That's why..." Sofia began but hesitated, lulled into answering by his gentle tone but also afraid to repeat the words. "I confessed to Mister." She hung her head in shame, expecting the man to scold her, but instead he pulled her against him, his stomach rumbling with quiet laughter.

"Oh, Princess, it's about time." He told her, letting her go and gesturing to Cedric's work table. "Let's have a little chat."

"Wait a minute, you knew?" Sofia questioned with disbelief, debating between claiming a spot on the table or continuing her escape.

"I'd wager that Rubrick's the only one that didn't." He admitted, exchanging glances with Cordelia, who nodded in agreement.

"I could tell right away." The sorceress chimed in, kneeling down beside Sofia. "It's alright that you told him. There's nothing to be upset about. But if you run away, he'll let you... He won't try to convince you to come back or anything of that sort. That's his nature. Is that really what you want?"

Sofia shook her head, she didn't want to go back to how things were when she first came to the palace, or before that, in the village. She wanted to keep coming to the tower, where she could sit on the table and chat with the sorcerer between comfortable silences that were necessary so he could concentrate. She wanted to keep watching him brew all sorts of amazing potions, even if she didn't understand what half of them were for, and she especially wanted to sit next to him on the couch, reading fairy tales together while time seemingly ceased to exist.

"Then you'll just have to endure it, sweetheart. Things will be strange for a little while, but not forever." Greylock smoothed curls dishevelled by running, and Sofia felt warmed by the kindness of the adults. She wasn't sure what she'd expected to happen when she confessed, but they were taking her true feelings seriously, and it made her feel much better.

"Why's everyone standing around up here?" Cedric demanded from behind them, eyeing the group warily. "How am I supposed to get any work done with you lot making so much noise?" Relief washed over Sofia at the ordinary question, but before she could turn to apologise for disturbing him, Greylock took her by the hand.

"I was thinking of stealing our little princess for the day." He stated, tugging her towards the door.

"You'll do no such thing. The brat has a rabbit to tend to, after she tidies the mess she left downstairs, of course." Greylock ignored him, and Cedric produced his wand, aiming it towards the pair. "Take one more step with her and I'll turn you into a rather unattractive bullfrog." Greylock smirked over his shoulder, giving a final wave.

"It can't be helped, I already promised the girl a date." He winked down at Sofia, tugging her towards the door despite the other sorcerer's protests.

"Don't call it a date so casually! I mean it, Greylock, get the fuck back here this-" The door slammed shut behind them, and Sofia glanced up curiously at the man who still held her hand in his own. He placed a finger to his lips, signalling for her to keep quiet, and urged her down the stairs.

"I thought Miss Cordelia said not to run away?" Sofia objected once they were a good distance away from the tower.

"We're not running away. We're giving him a chance to calm down... And to realise he misses you." Greylock explained, releasing her hand to pat her on the head. "Now, where would you like to go?" Sofia chewed her lip, thinking over her options.

"Could we get ice creams?" She asked hopefully. Greylock grinned, escorting her to the palace entrance.

"I think that's a perfect idea!"

...

With Greylock and Sofia gone, Cedric turned his frustration on the only person left in the tower, spinning around to stare angrily at his sister.

"You did this!" He accused, aiming his wand at her. "What were you whispering about earlier?"

Cordelia burst into laughter, further angering the sorcerer. "Sorry... Sorry." She gasped for air between breathless apologies. "I've just never seen you react to something before."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He demanded, tossing his wand onto the table and crossing his arms defensively.

"You're always so cold, Cedric, like forever frost. I can't remember you caring about anyone since..." A sharp glare from her brother prompted her to stop before she said something that would shut down the conversation completely. "To think that a little girl would prove your undoing." She shook her head, raising herself up onto the table.

"If you're implying something obscene..." Cordelia laughed again, rolling her eyes at him.

"Of course not, I didn't mean to suggest you return her feelings. But it's clear that you do care about the princess." Cordelia corrected him. "The proper thing to do would be to let her down gently, you know."

"I-I have no idea how to do something like that." Cedric admitted, sinking into his desk chair and spinning it so he faced away from his sister. "It's not the sort of thing I have much experience with."

...

"Mr Greylock?" Sofia asked between bites of lavender ice cream, interrupting the quiet. "Miss Cordelia - it seemed like they're very close."

"No, not anymore. Something happened a long time ago, and neither of them has really got over it." He explained, taking another spoonful of his hot fudge sundae.

"Oh. But, they were once?" She ventured, using her free hand to nervously fidget with her skirts. "When I found the two of them in the tower this morning, it- I felt..." She paused, trying to express an emotion she didn't fully understand. "I don't know what I felt, but my chest hurt, and it made me sad. It was even worse when she called him 'Ceddy'." Greylock chuckled, examining the princess closely.

"You're talking about jealousy? I have good news for you: Cordelia isn't your rival. She's Cedric's-" He trailed off, raising his eyes to a point above Sofia's shoulder, and she turned her head to see what had caught the man's attention.

"I told you not to take the brat." Cedric announced, crossing his arms defiantly as he locked eyes with Greylock.

"You win." The other man conceded, holding his hands up in a gesture of defeat. "I'm due back in Rudistan, anyway. Princess Sofia, is it alright with you if we postpone our date?" Sofia's eyes darted back and forth between the two men, wondering what the proper answer would be. After a few seconds she smiled politely.

"Of course, Mr Greylock. I'll look forward to it." With that, Greylock excused himself, and Cedric claimed his seat. They sat in awkward silence as Sofia finished her ice cream, and she wondered if he meant to speak to her at all. As she was wiping her face and hands, Cedric cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"You've caused trouble again." He muttered, fiddling with the spoon sticking out of Greylock's unfinished ice cream. "It seems to be what your best at."

"I didn't mean to-" Sofia began, but he held up a hand to stop her before she could continue.

"I don't return your feelings, nor do I claim to understand them." Sofia nodded slowly, already suspecting as much. "But... I do respect them, and I envy you for being able to express them so freely. If that's enough, then let's go home."

Cedric stood to leave, and Sofia hurried to follow after him. As they walked toward the palace, she noticed the signs of the changing season all around them.

"Hey, Mister... The leaves are turning." Sofia informed him, pointing up to the canopy of gold, orange, and red foliage above their heads. Cedric stopped to look as she caught up to stand beside him.

"So they are. It'll be cold soon." He mused, his thoughts returning to the conversation in the tower. 'You're always so cold, Cedric.'

"That's okay, I like the cold." Sofia chirped out beside him, catching the sorcerer off-guard.

"Why's that?" He questioned, shoving his hands deep inside his robe pockets and continuing down the path.

"Because right when it's coldest, when the whole world's covered in ice and it feels like it'll be frozen forever, that's when spring comes and warms everything up." Cedric stopped again, studying the child carefully as she grinned up at him. "Sorry, did I say something strange?"

"No, not at all." Cedric breathed, glancing at the trees again.

"Also, there's hot chocolate, and snowball fights, and Wassalia..." She ticked winter's good points off on her fingers as she skipped on ahead. "When it starts to snow, could we have fires in the library?" She spun around to look at him, eyes wide with excitement.

"The flu'll have to be cleaned first, but I don't see why not." He answered with a shrug.

"And we can read fairy stories on the hearth." Sofia added, jumping on a dry leaf and smiling in satisfaction as it crunched beneath her feet.

"You'll get your gown dirty." Cedric countered, discreetly going out of his way to step on a fallen leaf, too.

"I don't mind it." Cedric shook his head, chuckling to himself. Spring, she says... Of all the childish notions.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** On with the show... Finally to the point where we're telling some stories from the series, but not always the way you remember them. ;) There will still be original arcs, too, and not every episode will get an alternate version. Also, episodes will tend to be broken up so the length is consistent with other chapters... like this one. Enjoy!

* * *

"Flying Derby try-out practice is starting!" An older prince Sofia didn't recognise burst into the lunch room to make the announcement, prompting nearly everyone in the room to rush outside. I didn't know we had a flying derby team. Sofia hurried out with her classmates, but when she arrived at the track, already deciding she wanted to give it her best shot, she was stopped by Amber and some of her cohorts.

"Where do you think you're going?" Amber demanded as the other girl's surrounded her. Sofia drew in a deep breath, trying to appear unfazed by the girls' presence.

"To try out for the team." She answered as calmly as she could. She tried to scoot around her step-sister, but the circle of girls closed tighter around her. Behind her, some of them laughed until a glance from Amber made them go silent.

"Isn't it bad enough that I have to live with you? Now you want to embarrass me at school, too?" The blond stared hard at Sofia, who hid her hands behind her back so the other princess wouldn't see them shake.

"Let me pass!" Sofia insisted, sounding much braver than she felt.

"Not until it's over." Amber doubled down, refusing to budge. Sofia made another attempt to get out of the circle, but Amber grabbed her, holding her still while practice began.

"What's going on over here?" The sound of an adult filled Sofia with relief, especially when Amber's grip loosened into something resembling an awkward hug.

"Nothing, Sir Gillium." Amber answered, flashing a dazzling smile at the teacher, which he quickly returned, much to Sofia's dismay.

"I wanted to try out for the team." Sofia informed him, ignoring the way Amber's nails discreetly dug into her arm.

"What?" The man scoffed, and all hope of getting help from him vanished from her mind. "Derby is only for princes. Go over to the bleachers and cheer the boys on."

"I'll be cheering for Prince Hugo!" Amber interjected in a saccharine tone, the innocent grin still plastered across her face.

"Is it against the rules?" When the man didn't seem to grasp what she meant, she continued. "For princesses to be on the team, that is." He stammered out a flustered response, then composed himself.

"Not exactly, but it's never been done before." He explained, turning to leave Sofia to her uncertain fate with the other princesses.

"Can't I at least try?" She called after him, stopping the teacher in his tracks. He mulled it over for a moment before spinning back toward the group.

"Fine. You have the next few days to practise. If you can somehow win the race, we will discuss a place on the team for you." He relented, glancing over his shoulder long enough for Sofia to escape the girls.

"Thank you! You won't regret this!" She chirped happily, as much for being accidentally saved as for being given a chance to join the team.

"I already regret it. You can't ride in a gown, so you'll have to start tomorrow." With that, he left, and Sofia followed suit to avoid being recaptured.

...

Cedric tried to ignore the girl in his tower, but something about her mood kept capturing his attention, and to make matters worse, every time he did somehow manage to focus, the princess would sigh deeply.

"Out with it!" He growled, slamming the book he'd been trying to read for the last half an hour onto his desk with a loud bang that made the distracted girl jump.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." She was quick to apologise, ducking her head to hide cheeks she knew must be glowing.

"Well you did! Now out with it." He repeated. When Sofia shook her head, trying to play it off like there was nothing to tell, Cedric stood from his seat and crossed the room, planting himself directly in her line of sight. "I know six different truth spells, brat, so you might as well just tell me and save us both the hassle."

"I want to join the Flying Derby." She quickly supplied once he raised his wand in her direction to accompany his threat. "But I'd have to be late bringing Clover's snack for awhile." Cedric stared down at her intently, debating on making good on his warning. Does she even realise that I can tell when she's lying? He decided that this was another area he wasn't interested in prying into, and tucked the instrument away.

"Is that all?" He gave her one last chance to tell him the rest, but she nodded firmly, avoiding eye contact with the sorcerer.

"I mean, I've never been on a flying horse before, and I need riding clothes to even be allowed to practise..." Sofia added, still tiptoeing around the heart of the problem. Cedric chuckled, playing along with the ruse that these were the worst of the girl's worries.

"Well, I don't have a flying horse, but I can certainly conjure some riding clothes." Her face lit up, and he wondered how she could look so happy when she clearly had something more serious than clothing on her mind.

She followed him into the library, watching intently as he dug around for a neglected tome he was sure was kept there. "Here we go." He pulled the book from the shelf, thumbing through until he found a clothing conjuration spell.

"Can you really make me an outfit?" Sofia breathed, standing on her toes to get a look at the pages over his arm.

"I said it, didn't I?" Cedric retorted, annoyed at her insinuation, though he reminded himself that she was merely impressed by the concept, and not making a judgement about his prowess. "Have to make it awfully small, though." She took no notice of the slight jab he allowed himself, and soon he landed on the proper page with an 'aha!', then retrieved his pocketed wand.

"Equitantes vestimenta sua." He waved at the sofa as he spoke, giving his wrist a sharp flick on the last word, and a stack of clothing appeared on top of the cushion. He had meant for them to be lilac, like her gown, since he recalled her mentioning that it was her favourite once, but the jacket and slacks came out closer to his preferred colour of purple. Nevertheless, the girl was thrilled, bouncing on her heels as she raced to inspect her new garment.

"Mister, this is ah-mazing!" She squealed, returning just as quickly to wrap her arms around his waist, a hug he broke as hastily as possible, firmly shooing her out of the workshop.

...

Sofia listened as her step-father spoke to James about the Flying Derby, deciding when and if to interrupt.

"I was thinking of joining, too." She chimed in at the first good opportunity. Under the dining table, Amber kicked her hard in the leg, though her expression remained pleasant.

"Sofia, don't be silly. We already talked about this." She waved her hand dismissively and chuckled, drawing her foot back to prepare for a second covert attack. "Princesses don't do that. What if someone starts bullying you for doing something strange." The last part was spoken almost pointedly enough to be obvious. Almost, but not quite, it seemed, as her mother nodded her agreement.

"That's true. Because you're new to nobility, it's important that you try your best to fit in." Miranda lectured her young daughter, oblivious to Amber's satisfied smirk. "Don't you think so, Rollie?" The queen asked her husband, who had been staring silently at Sofia since she'd spoken.

"I think you should do it." He stated, ignoring the chorus of shocked remarks that broke out around the table.

"Daddy, she doesn't even know how to ride." Amber complained, dropping her cheerful facade.

"Then James will teach her. He can use the practice." The king insisted. James looked to Amber, who discreetly shook her head, and sighed.

"All of the other boys will laugh at me!" He tried to protest, but a stern glare from his father sent the clear message that he was expected to do it anyway.

...

Sofia showed up just on time for practice, proudly wearing the riding outfit Cedric had conjured for her. She smoothed the jacket and took her place among the boys. She was the last to get assigned a horse, and was given one who was very different from the others. Minimus, as she learnt he was called, was a short, squat beast who didn't look like he could fly one metre without tiring, much less win a race. To Sofia, who had never been so close to a horse in her life, he was the most perfect, majestic animal in the world, and she told him as much as she fondly ran her fingers down his velvety neck.

"You really think you're going to win on that donkey?" An unfamiliar boy asked from behind Minimus. Sofia peeked over the horse to find herself face-to-face with Prince Hugo, the same royal that Amber was enamoured with. "You should just go back to the village where you belong. Nobody wants a girl on the derby team."

Ignoring him, Sofia led her horse out of the stable. "We'll show him, won't we boy?" She rubbed her face against the horses soft fur until she felt calm enough to join the others on the track. She found James, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh, it's you..." He mumbled, glancing over his shoulder at her. "What do you want?"

"Your dad said you're supposed to help me." She reminded him. James shifted his focus to something behind her, and she followed his gaze to find her step-sister.

"He's not gonna teach you how to ride, Sofia. No one is!" Amber informed her, tossing her long blond hair over her shoulder and giving her a self-satisfied grin. James looked less victorious, but nodded when Sofia faced him again. "Get on your horse, James, you have a race to win." Obeying her orders, her twin mounted his horse and trotted off.

"I could tell, you know." Sofia warned, taking a timid step back as the other princess advanced on her.

"You could, but you won't. Because whether they believed you or not, it would still cause trouble between our parents, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that." Amber was practically radiating with glee, her face mere centimetres from Sofia's as she pinned the smaller girl against her horse. "Besides, Daddy would never take your word over mine. Oh, Sofia... What happened to your pretty new riding suit?"

"Wh-what?" Sofia stammered out, confused. Amber reached out and tore the sleeves off, smirking as they hung limp around Sofia's wrists. Tears prickled her eyes, but she refused to let them flow until the older girl marched triumphantly out of sight.

Sadly, Sofia took her horse back to the stables, and hid under the bleachers to sulk.

"You better win, or else don't bother coming home." A male voice, deeper than she would expect from the students in her school, threatened, rousing her curiosity.

She shifted onto her knees, peeking through the rows of seating, to see an older boy standing in front of Prince Hugo. "I'm serious, don't embarrass this family again." She waited until he left to crawl back out from under, claiming a seat beside the prince.

"Go away, Sofia..." Hugo buried his face in his hands to keep her from seeing him, but his shaking shoulders gave him away.

"I know what it's like." Sofia told him, picking a stick up off of the ground and using it to doodle in the dirt in front of them. "My step-siblings can be pretty awful, you know?"

"It's not just him." Hugo wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his riding suit. "He's the one who said it, but I know my dad feels the same way."

"I'm not even allowed to call Mom's husband 'Dad'." Sofia confided. When Hugo didn't respond, she stood to leave him alone, but his hand on her arm stopped her in her tracks.

"That's... That's pretty bad." Hugo muttered, just now making eye contact. Sofia sat back down, giggling despite herself.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Hugo laughed too, and the two of them spent the rest of practice sitting alone, exchanging horror stories about their families.

"Hey, I'm sorry, you know, about earlier." Hugo apologised shyly, and Sofia was glad to find a kinder side to the boy. "If you want, I could teach you how to ride."

"That would be great!" Sofia accepted, holding out a hand to him, which he shook to seal the bargain.

"Okay, meet me here first thing tomorrow." He ran off towards the stables, stopping to wave over at his shoulder at her before he disappeared from sight.

...

Cedric was supposed to be working his way through a long list of tasks that needed to be completed by the end of the day, but instead he found himself watching Sofia curiously from the corner of his eye as she swept his stone floor, humming lightly to herself as she moved throughout the workshop. She's in a good mood.

"Hey, brat, something happen at that... flying horse practice thing?" He queried, surprising her when he broke the silence. When Sofia regained her composure, she smiled brightly at him.

"A boy from class agreed to help me." Sofia explained. "I'm kind of behind, because everyone else has had two days of practice already, but I'm going to work really hard." She's persistent, I'll give her that much.

"You really want to be on that team, don't you?" Sofia nodded eagerly, pausing her work to join him at his desk so they could speak properly.

"I've loved Flying Derby for as long as I can remember. I even used to pretend Mom's broom was a horse, and ride it around the house." Cedric couldn't imagine Sofia doing something like that, no matter how hard he tried. I didn't think this brat ever played like a normal kid. An idea came to him, and he casually peeled back the dark glove on his left hand.

"Let's see it, then." He insisted, gesturing to the broom she held. Sofia blushed, glancing down and then back at the sorcerer. After a moment she nodded, climbing on the broom and dragging it around the room.

Waving his hand, Cedric mouthed a floating spell, and the broom began to levitate, earning an excited shriek from the girl.

"Mister, this is amazing!" Sofia squealed out as Cedric twisted his bare hand this way and that, controlling the broom's path around the large workshop. "Even better than I imagined it."

"It's not like riding a real horse, so you'll still have to get lots of practice." He informed her, concentrating on keeping the broom far enough below the rafters that she wouldn't hit her head.

Cedric was just beginning to relax, after flying her for quite a few minutes without an issue, when Sofia wobbled, throwing the broom off balance.

"Help!" She screamed as she fell through the air. If she falls from that height.. Cedric's brain stopped working after that, adrenaline flooding through his body and forcing him to action. He was on his feet in an instant, catching the girl in mid-air.

"I've gotcha. You're alright." He reassured her, reaching the hand that was still covered up to smooth her curls.

"You saved me!" Sofia hugged him tightly, and he could feel that she was still shaking from the scare.

"Course I did. Do you have any fucking idea how much hell I'd catch if you got hurt in here?" Cedric admonished her, freeing himself from her death grip and setting her down on the worktable. That's not why. His thoughts protested, but he refused to put it into words: how terrified he'd been when he wasn't sure he could get to her in time, the way his heart raced at the idea of the child getting seriously injured - or worse - because of his stupid idea. "Hope you ride better on a horse than you do on a broom."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** Shorter chapter. Dealing with nasty cluster headaches today. If this update wasn't already halfway finished I probably wouldn't have been able to get it together at all. :( Anyway, the next chapter is my favourite from the One of the Princes arc, but I really like how this one turned out, too, despite all the trouble I had finishing it.

To answer a question left via review: Roland's not really interested in playing 'Dad' to Sofia, at least not until they get to know each other better, but he believes in encouraging kids to pursue their interests, so he tells her to go for it. (Much like he does in the show, btw.) Miranda is too concerned with fitting in and appearances at this point. If Amber hadn't mentioned that it wasn't a princess thing to do and might get Sofia bullied, I don't think she would have necessarily told her not to do it, but when she heard that it got her worried about her daughter, and by extension her, doing something that wasn't considered proper in their new social class. Hence the 'role reversal', though like I said, there actually wasn't much of a switch on Roland's side. Normally I would just answer in a pm, but I thought it was a great question and others might be interested in the answer, too.

* * *

Sofia impatiently swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the workshop table, chancing sidelong peeks at the sorcerer leaning beside her. She knew from experience that their lessons would not begin until he finished drinking his morning coffee, and that trying to rush him would just make him irritable, so she tried her absolute best to wait quietly. This was no small feat, though, because it felt like he was taking an exceptionally long time to drink the piping hot beverage this morning.

"Must you do that?" He met her eye during one of her glances, and stretched his free hand to still her kicking. "You seem extra fidgety today."

"It's nothing." She fibbed, breaking the eye contact in hopes that he wouldn't notice she was being less than entirely honest.

"Is it?" He quirked an eyebrow as he smirked at her, lifting the mug at an agonisingly sluggish speed and sipping his next mouthful slowly, still watching the girl.

"Please hurry, Mister!" She urged him, unable to contain her frustration any longer.

"Knew it."

There was a victorious glint to his honey brown eyes, and Sofia felt her cheeks colour as she noticed, as she often did, how charming he was in the morning, all messy hair and hushed tones. Though the robes he wore when he was officially performing his job gave him an air of importance, she rather liked the way he dressed during their early reading lessons, with his tunic loose at the neck and hanging untucked over his plain dark trousers. In the absence of his golden silk tie, she could see the well-defined ridge of his collarbone, and just above it, the fascinating way that the pointed part of his throat bobbed as he tilted his head back and swallowed. His jawline and the sides of his face were darkened by tiny black hairs that always vanished by the time she returned home from school.

With him standing so closely, she could smell the deceptively mouth watering aroma of his morning brew, and the lingering smoke from the cigarette he had hastily stubbed out as she entered the tower, these scents almost, but not quite, overpowering a unique one all his own.

Morning Cedric was raw, and artless, an intriguing paradox of rough edges and soft smiles, and a genuine glimpse at the flawed but beautiful man who hid himself behind the larger than life persona of Royal Sorcerer. Morning Cedric, she had learnt early on in her lessons, was her favourite version of him. In the dimness of the workshop, afflicted with an unfortunate western exposure that prevented it from getting proper sunlight until late afternoon, he shone brighter than anyone else in her eyes.

Today, however, she had no time to admire him, or to bask in the warmth that lay just beneath the surface of his teasing, lopsided grin as he moved through his daily routine at a snail's pace with the sole purpose of antagonising her. And that was why she waited anxiously for him to finish so they could return to this week's fairy tale, the one that recounted the story of a poor Miller who'd been tricked by the Christian devil into trading his beloved only daughter for enough wealth to support his small family, believing he was simply losing an apple tree in the bargain.

"What's your hurry, anyhow? I normally have to shove you out the door in the mornings." Cedric mused, drawing her attention back to the conversation.

"I'm supposed to meet that boy." She admitted, giving up on the ruse now that he'd caught her. "For my riding lessons." She added when he furrowed his brow, apparently forgetting what she'd said about it the day before.

"That's today?" He questioned, setting down the cup and turning to examine her. Sofia gave a slight nod, shifting beneath his intense scrutiny. "Well what the fuck are you doing here?"

"You-you said if I missed even a single lesson..." She supplied, taking his earlier warning very seriously. Cedric rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her.

"Forget what I said, brat! Get out of here." He shooed her away, and she jumped down from her perch on the table, stopping part way to the door to double check that he really wasn't cross with her for leaving. "Go, I have work to do!" He snapped, but the slightest hint of a smile ghosted across his otherwise displeased expression as she spun to hurry out of the tower.

She halted on the threshold, peeking back in to spy him claiming his seat at the desk where he spent so much of his day. "I'll make something really special for dinner." She promised, calling across the room to him.

"You're still here?" Without glancing up, he flicked his wrist, and Sofia had to duck back into the landing to avoid having the door strike her face as it shut.

She skipped down the stairs two at a time, humming happily as she went.

...

Sofia panted hard, breathless from her long dash from the front of the school, as she skidded to a halt in front of the stables, brushing her sweaty palms against the luxe plum fabric of her riding pants. She tried not to dwell on the fate of the matching jacket, currently stuffed into a far corner of her bedroom closet until she could find a spare moment to attempt to mend the torn sleeves herself.

Pushing the door open, she spotted Prince Hugo already pacing the concrete floor inside. She hurried to stand beside the boy, tapping his shoulder to alert him to her arrival.

"Finally, I've been here for ages." He complained, and Sofia bowed her head contritely, honestly sorry for making him wait on her, though it couldn't really have been helped.

"Sorry, I have lessons before school. I came as soon as I was dismissed." She hurried to explain, praying he wouldn't press for details.

It would be embarrassing to have to explain to Hugo that she couldn't fully read, yet, since she was certain that noble children were well-taught in the skill by their age. At least, it seemed they must be, given the coursework the teachers assigned.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have... It's not that big a deal." He relented, shuffling from one foot to the other. "Get your horse, we can still get some riding time in before school starts."

Sofia greeted Minimus cheerfully, rubbing the soft fuzz of his nose before leading him out of his stall and through the stable. Outside, Hugo let her catch up, and they guided their horses to the track together.

"Have you ever even been on a horse before?" He quizzed, doing a poor job of hiding his amusement as she hopped up and down, trying to climb on the squat animal's back.

"I've never even been close to one before yesterday." She explained, nearly making it on the next attempt only to slide back off when she tried to throw her other leg over. Hugo crouched down, clasping his hands so she could get a boost. Sofia smiled gratefully as she accepted the offer, stepping as lightly as she could on his palms.

"Alright, now take the reins in your hand... Yeah, like that." He kept an eye on her as he mounted his own horse with ease. "Now give them a flick to tell him you want him to go." Sofia did as she was told, and the animal flew up in the air. She, unfortunately, did not, instead landing with a thud and a groan on the ground below.

"Are you okay?" Hugo called out, jumping down from his horse to check on her. Sofia sat up slowly, checking herself over.

"Yeah, I think so." Minimus, seeming to grasp that he shouldn't be flying without a rider, came back to land nearby, and Sofia stood, curling her fists in determination as she marched to the animal. "I am not going to give up." She whispered to her horse, patting his neck lovingly.

"Good, because I don't want anyone else to be my teammate." Hugo said from her side, grinning over at her. "Let's try it again."

Hugo helped her back onto the horse, and this time she held on tight as Minimus climbed high in the air. "This is even better than flying a broom!" Sofia cried excitedly, but her words were lost on the wind, earning no reply from the prince.

"Time to turn. Lean your body and use the reins to steer." He flew in closer, so they could hear each other, as he directed her to go around the bend.

Sofia shifted her weight too far, sliding off the horse in mid air and landing on a padded area below with a frustrated sigh. When Minimus came back for her, she tried to climb on again, but the ring of the warning bell filled the air.

"Already?" She whined as Hugo landed, dismounting from his horse. "I hardly got any practice."

"Hey, you're doing good, so don't worry about it so much." They walked the horses back, and he showed her where to get a pail and some water to give to Minimus.

"We're allowed in during break, so let's work on it later." He suggested, and Sofia nodded in agreement.

"Deal. I'll see you then." She started to run off for the school, but Hugo tugged on her arm to stop her.

"Or... We could walk back together, and maybe sit together during lunch." Sofia chewed her lip as she thought it over.

Though they'd got off to a rough start, she didn't dislike the prince, and he was really going out of his way to help her, even giving up his own practice time. But he was Amber's crush, and the last thing she needed was to give her step-sister another reason to hate her.

"I, uh..." She tried to think of a way to refuse him politely, but nothing came to mind.

"Nevermind, forget I said anything." He trudged ahead, leaving her to frown at his back as he departed.

"Hugo!" She called out, running to catch up. "It's not that I don't want to, it's just that Amber would kill me if I said yes."

"I guess I didn't think of that." He seemed to cheer up a bit. "Well, if we can't go back together, then at least race me to the front?"

"You're on!" Sofia sped off, giggling with glee as she and Hugo tore through the expansive school grounds.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** Ah, I'm late. Forgot this chapter still needed some work done until I actually went to post it. Sorry about that. Seriously, though, minus some of last chapter, I think this is my favourite part of the Princes arc. And hey, Hugo's P.O.V. for a change of pace.

* * *

During the break, Sofia and Hugo went flying again. This time she managed to stay on her horse without any major incidents, though she certainly wasn't going fast enough yet to count as racing.

"You'll have to get your speed up if you want to make the last part." Hugo informed her as he sat on a hay bale while she fed Minimus an apple she'd snuck from her lunch. "We can work on it after school."

Too fascinated by the sight of the horse enjoying his treat, Sofia shook her head without looking at him. "I can't after school. I have to be home on time." Behind her, Hugo scoffed.

"Your parents sure are strict, huh?" Sofia chewed her lip, wondering if it would be okay to let him believe the conclusion. After all, she couldn't very well tell him about her secret pet and how she needed to get home to feed him, since they didn't know each other very well yet.

"No, not exactly." She settled on, giving a slight shrug. "I just have something I need to do. I can be here earlier tomorrow, though."

"Thought you had lessons?" Sofia wiped her hands on the skirt of her gown, claiming a seat beside the prince.

"I do, but it's alright for now." Finally, a question she could answer with complete honesty. Despite Cedric's claims about being busy, she could easily tell that the real reason he's sent her away earlier was so she wouldn't miss the chance to practice for the upcoming race, and she was fairly certain he'd be okay with it again, so long as she didn't miss too many lessons in a row.

"Would you-" The bell rang to signal that break would be ending soon, and Hugo seemed to decide against whatever he was about to say, instead turning to head out of the stables. "Isn't it bad if we go back together?" He asked when she climbed to her feet and began to walk beside him.

"I changed my mind." She replied, smiling up at him. It really wasn't fair to avoid him in public just because she was worried about how Amber would react, so she tried not to worry about it.

...

Hugo cautiously approached the Enchancian Palace, rehearsing what he wanted to say to the newest resident. Though they'd been getting along well at practice, he wasn't sure he would be well received, considering how terribly he'd treated her at first. That only made him hesitate slightly as he approached the steps. When he passed the front columns, he spotted a man dressed in sorcerer robes leaning against one of them, smoking a cigarette and giving no indication whatsoever that he noticed the nervous boy. He thought to simply ask him where Sofia was, but the sorcerer seemed even more intimidating than the task at hand, so he didn't bother, instead grasping the knocker and banging it three times in succession. He expected the man to ask him his business, then, but he didn't. After a minute a friendlier looking old Steward answered the door, ushering the young Prince inside.

"Sofia?" The servant, who had introduced himself as Baileywick repeated his request, letting out a small 'hm' afterwards as he tried to account for her whereabouts. "I think she's usually in the side gardens this time of day." He showed the boy towards the proper exit and took his leave.

True enough, he did find her among the rows of plants, digging up vegetables on her hands and knees and paying no mind to her soiled gown. A mix of curiosity and anxiety kept him from calling out to her, and before he knew it he missed his chance, watching from a distance as she scooped her loot into her folded skirt and darted back inside.

He trailed behind, staying far enough to avoid being spotted, as she marched through the twisting corridors until she disappeared up a spiralled set of dark stone stairs. This is insane. I should either call out or go home. He scolded himself, listening to the sound of her knocking on a door above him. Instead, he took a few deep breaths and climbed up after her. The only door at the top had been left slightly ajar, and he could hear her talking to someone inside.

"I did it! I rode a flying horse!" She squeaked out cheerfully. Hugo leaned in, shifting the door as quietly as he could until he saw Sofia sitting on a large table, swinging her legs as the man he'd passed outside stood from his desk chair.

"That's nice." He answered without enthusiasm, joining her by the table and shuffling through some objects that were blocked from Hugo's view by Sofia.

"I was really scared when I fell, especially because I was up so high, but-" The man snapped his head up at this, reaching out and gripping Sofia's shoulder to hold her still as he looked her over.

"You fell? Are you hurt anywhere?" Sofia shook her head and he released her, though his eyes remained focused on the girl. "Then you should have said so." He chastised, returning to his apparent search.

"I would have, but you interrupted me." She reminded him.

"I suppose I did. It's just that I have a healing salve I've been meaning to test, so it would have been very convenient." He stopped to pat his robe, but the item he sought must not have been there, either. "Have you seen my wand?"

"It's on the lectern." Sofia replied, pointing to somewhere behind him. He paused to peer curiously at the princess before storming out of sight, reappearing a short while later with the magical tool and waving it in her face.

"How did you know that? I've told you before not to touch my things, brat! I ought to turn you into a-a-a..." Before he could finish the threat, Sofia giggled, pushing the end of the instrument away.

"You put it there yourself. Just a minute ago, when I came in." She answered, catching the sorcerer off guard. Hugo couldn't fathom how Sofia could remain so calm as the man threatened her, even going so far as to call her names. A servant should never behave like this.

"Did I? I can never keep track of the fucking thing." He tucked it into his robe as he spoke. "Move your ass, I have work to do." The prince fumed as he saw the grown man lift her up by the waist and deposit her onto her feet beside the table.

"Mister, you need a bath." Sofia wrinkled her nose as he let go of her, grinning up at him.

"I know it." He snipped. "It's the cauldrons. They steam the whole workshop up." He shrugged out of his robe, tossing it on the table where Sofia had been seconds before.

"What's going on here?" Hugo demanded, storming into the room and finally making his presence known. The sorcerer glanced from the boy to Sofia.

"Great, another brat showed up." He groused under his breath, returning to what Hugo could now clearly see was a jumble of beakers and containers on the table. "Friend of yours?" Sofia shook her head emphatically, turning her attention to the prince.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed at Hugo.

"That's what I'm asking you! Why are you hanging around this creepy old man?" The sorcerer in question let out an offended huff, but continued taking herbs out of a box in front of him. "A servant shouldn't be calling a princess names, or swearing in front of one, and he definitely shouldn't be touching you like that!"

"You know, I quite forgot you were a princess." Cedric teased as he smirked down at her, not bothering to acknowledge anything else the other child had said. Sofia stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm serious, old man! Something weird is going on here, and I'm going to tell Sofia's father." Cedric's head whipped around at this comment, but he remained quiet. Hugo also had Sofia's full attention, and she closed the distance of the room, blocking him from exiting the tower.

"Hugo, you can't!" She pleaded with the prince. "If you do that-"

"Can you two take this elsewhere? You're distracting me." The sorcerer gestured to another door, this one covered by a thick, dark purple curtain of velvet, and Sofia took Hugo by the arm and led him to it.

"I don't get it. Why are you spending time with this dirty old creep?" Hugo argued as the fabric barrier fell back into place behind them.

"I'm keeping a pet in the tower. It's a secret. If you tell the king, he'll be taken away, and I'll get in trouble." She filled him in, and he softened a bit.

"That still doesn't explain how he was acting." He sulked, not ready to let the issue drop. "If we're going to be teammates, I have to look out for you, and this place is too dangerous. You should find somewhere else to hide your pet and stop coming here."

"It's none of your business, Hugo." Sofia insisted firmly, getting visibly irritated. "I visit because I want to, so just stay out of it."

"I can't!" He didn't mean for the words to blurt out at all, let alone so loudly. "I-I mean, as your teammate... Like I said, and..."

...

Cedric leaned against his worktable, all thoughts of concocting a potion lost as he listened to Sofia bickering with the young boy in his library.

"I visit because I want to, so just stay out of it." Sofia told him, starting to sound upset. Cedric wondered if he should intervene and run the young prince out on her behalf, but reminded himself that she should solve her own problems. Though this particular problem has made its way into my tower.

"I can't!" The child shouted, and Cedric nodded thoughtfully, understanding now what all of this was really about. So that's it? He likes the brat...

Minutes later, the boy marched back through the curtain, pausing to stare daggers at Cedric before angrily exiting the tower, slamming the door so hard behind him that the sorcerer wondered if the entire wing of the castle hadn't heard it.

"I'm sorry, Mister." Sofia mumbled, scooting through the curtains and taking tentative steps toward him. "I told Hugo not to follow me home anymore, so he won't bother you again."

"It's not like you brought him here on purpose." He pretended to return to his work, and Sofia took Clover out of his cage and disappeared back into the library.

'This place is too dangerous.' Alone in the workshop, Cedric dropped into his desk chair, leaning his head back and rubbing his face wearily. 'I didn't know you had that sort of hobby.' It may have been in poor taste, but Greylock was only teasing him when he said that. Sofia's teammate, however, was definitely serious. Does she even know what he meant by that? Cedric frowned, standing again to dig through his robe pocket for his cigarettes before returning to his seat.

Maybe the time had come to chase the girl out of the tower for good, before such vulgar rumours actually began to spread. He didn't exactly have a good name to protect in the first place, but the thought of her reputation getting tarnished because he carelessly disregarded the way others might misinterpret her frequent visits unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

And then there was the matter of her confession, which he'd tried not to think about too much since that day, up until the boy's outburst reminded him of it. If he pushed her away now, wouldn't it give her a chance to see for herself how misplaced her affection truly was? Perhaps she would move on from her ridiculous crush, eventually accepting a romantic declaration from this prince, or one of any dozens just like him, when she reached a more suitable age for that sort of thing. Certainly, that would be far better for her than to harbour some deluded notion of love for an adult man.

"How about this for dinner?" Sofia, whom he hadn't heard approaching, stood by his elbow, holding up a page of her cookbook for his input. Cedric jumped at the sudden sound of her voice.

"I'm going to have you fitted for a bell." He complained, quickly stubbing his cigarette out, though he wasn't even close to finished with it. "Least that way I'd hear you sneaking up on me. What were you saying?"

"Dinner..." She repeated, pointing to an illustration of beef cobbler. "I promised this morning, remember?" Cedric was about to agree to her suggestion, when it dawned on him that she'd eaten in his quarters almost every night for the last week or so.

"Why aren't you eating with your family?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes as he studied her suspiciously. Sofia ducked her head to avoid his gaze, the way she had a tendency to do when she was hiding something from him.

"Well, that's because..." She mumbled quietly, and Cedric frowned. Tucking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face to coax her into giving him a proper answer. "I just thought I'd rather eat here tonight."

"If you can have dinner with everyone else, then you should do so." He insisted, but Sofia shook her head, drawing in a deep breath before responding.

"It's because of you that I don't have to eat alone." She turned those sparkling azure eyes up at him, a soft smile replacing her nervous expression. "So I don't want you to eat alone, either."

There were plenty of things he could have said to change her mind, and he seriously considered several of them. Instead he leaned back in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the open book again. "Beef cobbler does sound pretty good." Sofia grinned up at him as he scribbled down a copy of the ingredients list for her to take to the castle kitchens.

When the door closed behind her, he hastily lit another cigarette, trying not to imagine what sort of face she would make if he told her she couldn't come to the tower anymore. His mind conjured the image against his will, and he squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to make it go away.

"Fuck!" He seethed through gritted teeth, the word accompanied by a long drag's worth of thick, grey smoke. Damn it, things have become so annoying.

* * *

Fun fact: I did all the finishing touches on this chapter while listening to Alphabet Boy. Seems appropriate since both Hugo and Cedric are trying to make decisions on Sofia's behalf. :P


End file.
